Crouching Tiger: Summer Paradise
by Crystal Manning
Summary: -Interquel- BBA Revolution find themselves in the Bahamas celebrating Ray's birthday with the White Tigers. Being World Champions, they have a target on their backs that brings trouble. With the return of a supposedly reformed rival their week-long vacation of fun in the sun will be compromised with their duty of protecting the sport of beyblading yet again. OC. Complete.
1. Where are They Now?

**Crystal Manning- **So, that wasn't too much of a wait, was it? I wanted to be sure I had this story planned out a bit before I jumped right into it, despite how excited I was to get this story started. I also wanted to give you all enough time to finish up _Crouching Tiger_ before I started _Summer Paradise._ I was going to have this up two days ago but family stuff got in the way. I enjoyed your reviews on the last chapter and I'm happy to know that you all enjoyed the story as well. So, without further ado, here's _Crouching Tiger: Summer Paradise. _

On a different note, I'm mentioning the clothes that they're wearing to go along with how they change clothes per season. Also, for those of you that are new and joining in this story is placed a few weeks after G Revolution. This story follows my previous beyblade story, _Crouching Tiger_. I suggest you read that before you read this one. You won't be too confused but it would help clear some things up.

To those who avoid stories with OCs, this story isn't running rampant with them. The only "major" OC is Crystal, of course, however there are other OCs included as minor characters needed to push the story forward.

**Summary: **Summer vacation has finally arrived and BBA Revolution finds themselves in the Bahamas celebrating Ray's seventeenth birthday with the White Tigers. Of course, being the World Champions, they have a constant target on their backs that always attracts trouble. With the return of a supposedly reformed rival their week-long vacation of fun in the sun will be compromised with their duty of protecting the sport of beyblading yet again. OCs

**Genres: **(Since only lets us pick two) Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Romance

**Disclaimer:** I, unfortunately, do not own Beyblade. Anything that is related to the Beyblade franchise belongs to Takao Aoki. I, however, do own Crystal, Dricen, and other people/places/bitbeasts belong to me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Crouching Tiger: Summer Paradise<strong>_  
><em><strong>Chapter 1: Where are They Now?<strong>_

It's been a few weeks since the fall of BEGA and the history making Justice 5 Tournament. It had a bigger impact on the lives of the children around Tokyo for there were more beybladers in the parks and on the school grounds than before. Ray had gone back to China with the White Tigers and, after a brief stay in Japan, Max left to visit his mother in America. Daichi had all but disappeared, only leaving a note behind stating that he would make Tyson proud of him one day. The note touched Tyson more than he let on.

Kai and Crystal were the only one who decided to stick around in Japan with Tyson, Hilary, and Kenny. They stayed over at the dojo and went out around the two whenever a festival or an event had arrived. It still surprised Tyson that Kai willingly went around the town with them without a big objection to spending time with them. Unbeknownst to him, Hilary and Crystal seemed to have made it their sort of mission to include Kai in on the activities they were doing and tried really hard to get him to crack even the smallest of smiles. It was an ongoing process.

Outside, nature reflected the summer season. The cherry blossoms around the Granger dojo had bloomed and with every gentle breeze a few pink petals gracefully floated in the air before landing on the roof, ground, or the small koi pond in the backyard. Tyson could be found outside on many occasions, watching the petals fall while he cleaned Dragoon. Not that he had much to do between every cleaning session. No one has been around to challenge him to a beybattle as of late.

Normally that would be a good thing. But, for the past two years he and the rest of the BBA Revolution team have been challenge to battle after battle by mysterious bladers that wanted his and his friends' bitbeasts for one reason or another. While Tyson got frustrated with people wanting his Dragoon he missed battling constantly.

Letting out a soft sigh, Tyson turned his eyes up to the bright, cloudless blue sky. As always, his mind went to his previous battles and the adventures that he and his friends had. He couldn't stand sitting around and not getting ready for the next tournament. How long would it be until the next one? Weeks? Months? Years? Tyson wasn't sure he'd survive.

Suddenly, his head jerked in the direction of the dojo. The savory smell of pancakes, chocolate, bacon, and eggs reached his nose. It wasn't a scent that he was used to whenever Grandpa Granger made breakfast. This was a scent brought from the Heavens!

"Happy Summer, Mom," Tyson said in the direction of the lonely flower bed that sat by the dojo's back down. He jumped to his feet and rushed into the dojo, the hood to his new red vest bounced slightly underneath his ponytail. He dashed into the kitchen to see Crystal setting down a tall stack of pancakes on a plate by the stove.

"Morning Tyson," she chirped, turning around and flashing him a big smile. "You're up earlier than I expected," she added, pointing at the clock on the wall.

"My nose got me up," he replied while rubbing his belly. He let out a sigh of content when he saw the food spread out on the table. "Oh yeah! My nose and stomach never lie! Bring it on!"

Crystal watched with an arched eyebrow as he rushed to the table, tucked his napkin into his shirt, and grabbed his fork and knife. "You don't have to rush," Crystal said softly. "Daichi's not here."

"Oh…yeah…" Tyson's face fell slightly before he started shoveling food into his mouth. Crystal sighed and shook her head, turning to the whistling tea pot that sat on the stove.

She poured the tea and paused to look out the window, surveying the neighborhood. The longer she was in Japan the more the culture had an effect on her, she noticed. It reminded her of the Chinese culture but there were vast differences between them, she was careful to realize. She didn't feel too out of place in Japan than she originally thought she would have when she decided to stay but, so far, she's been enjoying her decision. She especially loved the Japanese fashion, not that she could ignore it for Hilary shoved it down her throat whenever she got the chance. It wasn't every day that Hilary had a female friend around, after all.

The two girls spend one entire day in the Harajuku district using the whole day to look at the fashions and try on new clothes. Crystal felt, clothing wise, that she needed a change while in Japan and Hilary was quick to agree. Ditching her old clothes she now went with a white sleeveless hoodie and a light blue cap sleeved shirt underneath, and jean shorts with black knee length leggings underneath. She switched out her black Chinese shoes with boots that Hilary leant her depending on the terrain they were to walk on during the day. The back of her shirt has a yin-yang symbol sewen onto it (thanks to Hilary) so she still had a piece of China with her.

Turning around, Crystal brushed her black and blue braided hair behind her shoulder and carried the tray full of tea over to the table. She paused slightly and lifted her eyes when she heard the very faint sound of a floorboard creak. That had to be Kai. He was the only one who could walk lightly on the floorboards. Not even Ray walked that lightly,

"Good morning, Kai, would you like some tea?" Crystal asked over the sound of Tyson's obnoxious chewing. She made a face and turned away from him, not wanting to toss her cookies over her own breakfast. She threw a cat-like smile in Kai's direction which faltered slightly when she got a good look at him.

"Wha're 'ou 'ookin' a'?" Tyson asked through a full mouth. He looked over his shoulder right at Kai and almost choked on his half-chewed breakfast.

Ever since the Justice 5 Tournament and the fall of BEGA Kai's demeanor noticeably, albeit slowly, started to change. He was still quiet and sort of anti-social when it came to people who bothered him or when he was asked stupid questions and the like. Otherwise he put forth an effort to actually try and talk to his friends. It was still an ongoing process. They were transfixed, however, o how normal he looked while wearing a dark gray shirt with a red phoenix in the middle and dark jeans. While he still wore his normal dark attire it was strange to see a splash of color on him.

Kai's eyes opened and he uncrossed his arms. His violet eyes moved around the table, taking everything in. Then he let out a barely audible sigh. "Please," he finally replied as he sat down. His eyes shifted in Tyson's direction, making a slight face at the dragon's eating habits. "Thanks," he said while accepting the small cup. He closed his eyes and took a sip of the steaming drink, holding it in his mouth briefly before swallowing. He set the cup down and looked at Crystal. "So…what adventure are we going on today?" He asked sarcastically.

"Oh don't pretend that you didn't have fun at the festival," Crystal scolded with a wag of her finger as she sat down.

"_You_ did."

"O'course! Beating Tyson in front of that girl was the best part of the day," she said while shooting Tyson a grin and reaching for a few pancakes off of the stack that was in the middle of the table.

"Hey! I almost had that girl's number!" Tyson cried out. "If it weren't for you butting in—"

"Ha! Ty. You weren't even close."

"I could've been."

"I saved you the trouble," Crystal explained while waving a pancake piece in his direction. She stuck it in her mouthed and chewed and swallowed before continuing her point. "Imagine the rampage Hilary would've been on. She has this…selfish mindset with you boys. She feels like you're hers and no one can interfere with that."

"_Hey_! I am not selfish!" Hilary's loud voice moved through the room. Crystal let out a laugh as Hilary walked in through the door with her hands on her hips. Staying true to her (self-proclaimed) fashionable style she was now keen on wearing short shorts with suspenders. In this case she was sporting a black midriff baring t-shirt with BBA written on it in yellow, red suspenders, jean short shorts, and her favorite brown boots.

Kenny stood by meekly, his laptop clutched under his arm. He still wore his nice shirts and ties but he changed out the tie colors and now wore jeans instead of nice pants. He also grew a considerable amount in the short amount of time so he was now taller than Crystal and the same height as Max.

"I meant it in a good way, Hil," Crystal reassured her.

"Yeah, yeah," Hilary said with a wave of her hand as she and Kenny sat down around the table. Hilary tucked her legs to the side and placed her hands in her lap. "Where's Grandpa?" She asked after a scan of the room. The others shrugged. "Okay then. What're we doing today?"

"We'll find something," Kenny replied. "There's always something to do around here." He suddenly lifted a finger. "I know! We can check out that new computer exhibit at the museum! It's doing a showcase on Macs and other Apple products through the years."

"We want to do something fun, Chief, not boring," Tyson deadpanned. Kenny grumbled something under his breath but Tyson was seemingly oblivious to it as he took on another helping of pancakes.

"Like the other events you've dragged me to were fun?" Kai asked with a lifted eyebrow. They decided to ignore that comment. Kai had a negative view on everything so it wasn't a surprise to them that he'd have doubts about doing something else with the group.

They, however, was sure it was only a front that he was putting on to keep up with his image. The festivals and parades and other events that they had gone to were fun and they were sure that he had fun as well. Hilary swore she even saw him smile and laugh along at a magic demonstration they had decided to attend. He, of course, denied it and claimed that her eyes were playing tricks on her when she confronted him about it.

It was like pulling teeth with him.

"Well, the Beyblade Showcase was fun, even you have to admit that," Tyson said with shinning eyes. "C'mon, admit it! You have fun beating all of those amateurs with one swoop!" He said while lighting elbowing Kai in the side. Kai let out a grunt, stood, and silently walked off. "Fine, don't answer me!" Tyson said to the Russian's back. "Man! What's a guy gotta do to get a response out of him?"

"Um…not bother him?" Crystal offered. "And not ask stupid questions?" Tyson rolled his eyes and chomped into a sausage link. Next to him Kenny was tapping away on his laptop, no doubt at the website for the museum. "He'll learn."

"That's doubtful," Hilary said with a little giggle. "It always takes Tyson a bit longer to learn things." Once her laughter subsided she wiped away the small tear that was by her eye. "I'm betting Tyson is going to read comics all day so I guess it's just us. Do you want to go to the mall? I need to buy a new bathing suit and I can get Ray's present at the same time—_oops_." She clapped her hand over her mouth.

Crystal sucked in a breath and let it out very slowly, as if breathing out her annoyance and leaving on patience behind. "You don't need to walk on eggshells around me, Hil, you can say his name y'know," she said while stacking her silverware on her plate and pushed it closer to the center of the table. "But, yes, I'd love to go. I need a bathing suit as well 'cause I'd rather not sit on the beach naked."

Hilary smiled a little. "Only two more days and we'll be relaxing at the beach, not having to worry about creepy beybladers wanting bitbeasts."

"Two long days," Crystal groaned, resting her palm on her cheek. "Remind me to check if Tyson has his passport and everything ready so we're not late to getting to the airport because of him. I don't want to miss a minute of my free vacation."

Just then Grandpa Granger walked into the kitchen, holding onto a stack of envelopes. "Good morning, homies! What're you doing inside on a righteous day like this? I'm surprised you homeslices aren't outside soaking in the sun and spinning your blades."

"We would if there was anyone worthy enough to 'blade around here," Tyson grumbled, lifting his hat and running his fingers through his hair.

"If you didn't have such a closed—_is that the mail_?" Crystal's head snapped around to look at the stack in Grandpa Granger's hand. No one had time to move or react as she jumped over the table and snatched the mail out of his hands. With a quick glance at each window of the mail she tossed one letter after the other over her shoulder until it all lay in a pile on the ground. "_What's a girl gotta do to get an acceptance letter around here_?" She wailed, dropping to her knees.

"I think the mall will do her some good," Hilary sighed while shaking her head. "I'm afraid a few more hours here and she'll go crazy."

"You mean she's not already there?" Dizzi quipped from the open laptop.

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><p>"Your total is ¥63. Thank you for your patience. Please visit us again."<p>

The ring from the cash register pierced the din of the overcrowded restaurant. Servers moved around the floor, dodging each other as they moved in and out of the pickup and drop off areas of the kitchen. The hosts and hostesses were busy with antsy customers at the front of the shop as well, keeping smiles on their faces while they looked through reservation books and tried to keep those who have been waiting calm.

All and all it was a normal day at The Lucky Dragon.

"I'm surprised you're still standing, Ray." The dark haired male turned to see who had addressed him while tucking his empty tray under his arm. The woman standing behind the cash register smiled at him. She carried herself with such elegance and grace that if he didn't know her he wouldn't think that she was his own age. She gave him a small smile and motioned towards the packed restaurant. "I think this is the busiest we've been since you've come back. Don't overwork yourself. You're the reason we have so much traffic."

Ray gave a light laugh and walked over to the counter, using his free hand to pushing his bangs out of his face. "Mei, you're laying it on a little thick there," he commented. "The place, as always, is evenly split in customers and you have your fair share of admirers."

"Yes, but I actually acknowledge it, Mr. Modest," she teased while shaking her head, her long French braid moved with every twist of her head. "I hope you realize you're our most requested male server. But I should thank you for coming back. The turnover has been amazing. Feng appreciates you helping us little people as well."

"I may be a World Champion beyblader but that doesn't mean I'm going to forget where I'm from," Ray stated while setting his tray down on the counter near the delivery pickup area. "I'm still a village guy at heart. I have a lot of things that are keeping me here. Like…this job, the city, the village, my parents, my friends—"

"Your pink haired girlfriend," Mei interrupted him. She kept her eyes on the money that she was counting, using every amount of self-restraint she had to not look at him. It proved to be a tough challenge for she could feel him burning a hole in the side of her head. The urge got worse the longer time went on but she didn't dare move her eyes in his direction. "How's that going, anyway?"

Ray let out a long sigh and rested his elbows on the counter. He pressed his lips together and let his amber eyes move around the restaurant, studying each customer in turn. He would admit that he as a fairly confident person…when it came to beyblading, cooking, performing tea ceremonies, or any other activity or situation that had nothing to do with girls liking him. His confidence seemed to fly out the window, however, whenever a girl was involved. He hid it very well, it seemed, for he tried to be as polite and nice about it as possible whenever one were to like him (for reasons he couldn't fathom).

In Mariah's case he was aware of her infatuation with him for ages but he ignored it and even pushed it aside to the small recesses of his mind. He told himself that if he didn't believe or think about it it couldn't be true. However, over time, it became more and more apparent that one day, sooner or later, he'd have to talk to her about it and not ignore it anymore.

That day came sooner than he expected when the Ball was announced. Yes, he had asked Mariah to go as his date. Yes, he had fun with her, like he always did whenever they were hanging out but that's all he thought it was at the time. Them hanging out. The next thing he knew she asked to talk to him about something important. His mind hardly wrapped around her words of confession before she had kissed him. Despite knowing that she had very fond feelings for him he was pleasantly surprised by her bold move and felt the only thing he could do at the time was kiss her back.

Since then he's been confused about the feelings that have been bouncing around in his mind so he took up extra shifts at the restaurant to keep himself busy. And busy they have been. It's as if the more people realized he lived in the area the more people came to the restaurant just to see him. It was a very welcomed distraction.

"She's not my girlfriend," Ray finally replied. Mei let out a soft snort but didn't say anything. "She's not," he insisted. "I don't know what we are, really," he admitted, shaking his head a little.

"Friends? More than friends? Friends with benefits? Boyfriend/girlfriend? Significant other? Dating? Engaged? There aren't many categories for you to fall into," Mei said, finally turning her eyes away from the money and at his face. Her eyebrow was raised and a knowing smile graced her lips. "It's either one or none."

"Honestly, I don't know," he replied.

Her eyebrow lowered and she slowly shook her head. "You haven't talked about it, have you?" Mei asked. "You've just let the rumors run rampant around the village not even caring about what it could do to your reputation, let alone hers? Where have your manners gone to, Mr. Kon?"

"Why should I comment on something that's no one else's business but mine and Mariah's?" Ray asked. "The way I see it, they can talk all they want."

Mei gave him a peculiar look before closing the tray of the cash register. She motioned over another worker and quickly said something to him in Chinese. He nodded and took her place behind the counter. She motioned her finger at Ray in a 'follow me' way before disappearing into the backroom. The sound of the restaurant was almost instantly cut off as soon as the door closed behind Ray. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips as she began pacing. She then stopped and stood in front of Ray, a smile of amusement pulling on her lips. "Ray, you're a scared little boy."

Ray's eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest, the sleeves of his uniform tightening slightly over his muscles. "Mei, I hope you realize I don't appreciate laughing at my predicament."

"I can't help it; you act like you're seven and not seventeen," Mei giggled.

"Not all of us have had a perfect relationship since they were a baby."

"My relationship with Feng is hardly perfect, Ray, but I'm going to let that one slide." She clicked her tongue before speaking again. "Ray, do you like Mariah?"

Ray nodded slowly. Where was she going with this? Anyone with eyes could see that she held a special place in his heart and she was a member of the same beyblading team he was on. "Yes, she's a very dear friend."

Mei lifted a finger and wagged it. "Ah, that wasn't what I was asking you. I _asked_ if you like her."

Ray shrugged. "I like her fine." But he knew what she was really asking, if he liked her as more than a friend. If he liked her as a woman. But he didn't know. He loved spending time with her but it was too complicated. Her making him lunch every day didn't make things easier on him.

Mei laughed and covered her mouth with her hand so her shoulders shook. "You're such a boy," she sighed. "If you need any female advice I'm here. I'm a little experienced in the girl department, y'know."

"Speaking of, you have any idea why Crys doesn't want to talk to me?" Ray asked, moving his hands to his pockets. His fingers lightly brushed Driger which sat heavily in his pocket.

Mei shrugged. "I wouldn't know, though you must've done or said something to get the silent treatment from her. She hasn't said anything in her recent letters."

"Letters?" Ray repeated, he perked up as if he were a curious puppy. "What'd they say?"

"Same ol', same ol'," Mei said with wave of her hand. "She's been spending time with Tyson and the others. She's been beyblading whenever she finds a good opponent and she's been waiting for her acceptance letter to that school she really wants to get into."

Ray waited for a few seconds, expecting her to say more but then realized that she didn't have more to say when she pressed her lips together. "That's all?"

"That's it."

"Huh," Ray grunted. His eyes travelled over to the clock that was above Mei's head. "Okay, well, I have to clock out now. Are you staying longer?"

She nodded. "Feng and I are closing up tonight. We're taking over for Bao-Zhi," she replied. Ray nodded and moved to take off his apron when the wall phone started to ring. Mei, being the closest, answered it. "The Lucky Dragon, how may I help you?" She listened for a second before holding out the phone. "It's for you, it's Max."

"Max?" Ray's eyebrows furrowed. "But it's…only five in the morning there." Mei shrugged and handed off the phone, leaving the room entirely. A blast of sound reached Ray's ears as the door swung open and then was cut off when it shut. "Maxie? What's going on? Is everything okay, dude?"

"Yeah, everything's fine over here," Max replied. The blond's voice sounded unusually upbeat for someone being awake at such an early time. But it didn't surprise Ray too much; Max was always a quick riser. "I just wanted to see how you're doing, Birthday Boy."

Ray laughed softly. "It's not my birthday yet. Only a couple more days."

"And then you'll be the big one-seven. Anything special planned?"

"I dunno. Probably just a dinner with the team. I think my parents are trying to come in but I'm not getting my hopes up about them too much," the Chinese blader replied while leaning against the wall. "Why?"

"I'm just asking," Max replied, stifling a yawn on the other end of the line. "Isn't that some big milestone in your village or something? Like your version of coming of age or something."

"Yeah, that's right," Ray said while nodding, remembering a second later that Max couldn't see it. He was happy to know that someone listened to him whenever he talked about his home life. "Whenever a male turns seventeen sometime during the year they have to go on their journey to find themselves. No one knows what it is, it's usually up to the person to decide and the others know about it once—well, _if_—they return."

"Oh, sounds…interesting." Max's statement was interrupted by another yawn. "What do you think you'll do for your journey?"

"Well, there's this myth that surrounds the village. It's known as the White Tiger Village because, supposedly, a White Tiger has been around long since our ancestors have been around. The White Tiger watches over the village but it is very elusive. No one has seen it but very rare glimpses but even then they were sure their eyes were playing tricks on them. Rumor has it if you find the White Tiger and you're able to get close enough to it to pet it you get a wish."

"Whoa! That sounds really cool!"

"It is. The hard part about it is that, supposedly, he lives on the highest peak of the tallest mountain in China."

"I think it's something that you can do. You can already survive without electricity and technology out there. Climbing a rock can't be too hard."

"Ha ha." Ray rolled his eyes. "So, how's New York?"

"Same as always: loud, busy, and exciting. I just love it so much," Max replied. Ray could practically see the blond's illuminating smile through the line. "Mom has been showing me the new research that she and the PPB have been doing, its amazing stuff. I can't believe beyblading has come this far. She was very impressed with Kenny's and Emily's creation of the Heavy Metal System."

"As they should be, it's very impressive work for teenagers I must say," Ray replied. "Look, Max, not that I don't want to talk to you but I have to do. Dinner is soon and if we don't arrive on time we have to find our own food. Was there anything else you wanted?"

"No, just wanted to talk to a friend," Max replied. "To be honest I was beginning to get a little bored. Nothing exciting happens whenever we're apart, it seems. I actually kind of miss being attacked by random 'bladers."

"I know what you mean, buddy. Get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay. Goodnight Ray."

"Good morning, Max."

Ray hung up the phone and changed out of his gray pants and replaced them with his normal black ones, but these had white Chinese characters going down the right leg which, when translated, read 'ferocious tiger'. He then took off his blue work shirt and replaced it with his sleeveless white top. It was reminiscent of the top he wore just a few weeks ago just without the sleeves. He tied his red sash around his waist before stuffing his work clothes into his locker.

He waved to Mei and her fiancé, Feng, as he left the shop. They waved back and gave him smiles on his way out. Once Ray stepped out onto the crowded streets he was swept up into the sea of citizens moving from shop to shop, in and out of stores, and stopping in front of each merchant stall. The golden glow from the stores and lamps that hung above the street brought together the summer feeling that he loved and looked forward to each year.

He paused by a stall that was selling some dumplings. He placed a hand on his growling stomach and, after a seconds of thinking, gave into his hunger and bought some. He took a bite and smiled at the burst of flavor and spices that seemed to erupt from the doughy delight.

"Ray! Hey, _Ray_!"

"Hmm?" Ray turned around, halfway into his bite when he heard someone calling his name. His eyes scanned the crowd until, finally, they rested on Lee and Mariah who pushed their way through the crowd and towards him. His stomach did a light flip-flop when his eyes rested on Mariah but he ignored it and did his best to put on a smile. "Hey Lee, Mariah. What're you guys doing in the city?"

"We needed to get some ingredients for dinner," Mariah replied while holding out the bulging brown paper bag that sat in her arms. "We're having Egg Drop Soup."

"Sounds delicious. Do you want some help with that?" He asked, motioning towards the bag. Just because he was (finally) aware of her feelings for him didn't mean that he could stop being a gentleman. His mother would have his head if she were to find out.

"Um, no thank you, I got it," Mariah replied, lowering her eyes as a light blush dusted her cheeks. "But thanks anyway, Ray. It's very sweet of you."

Lee gave a little laugh. "Easy there, Romeo, I think you're going to make her heart explode."

Mariah glared at her older brother and elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up, Lee," she mumbled.

Ray chuckled. "You two heading back?" They nodded. "Mind if I walk with you?"

"Of course not, buddy," Lee said as he lightly slapped Ray on the shoulder. "So, it's almost the big day. What do you think Hanna's going to get you?"

Ray shrugged. He didn't put too much thought into a gift from his arranged fiancée. He hardly saw her with his training, work, and beyblading around the world. Come to think of it, he was surprised their arrangement hasn't dissolved by now with how much distance was put between them 3/4s of the year.

"I'm not expecting much. I don't want anything, really," Ray replied.

"Ray, you're too modest," Mariah said with a shake of her head. "There has to be something you want."

"Well, yeah, the same thing I want every year but I don't hold my breath about it," Ray replied. "I want my parents to come home but they're very busy so I can't expect a result."

"Maybe they'll come this year," Mariah replied. "You shouldn't give up hope, Ray. This year might be different. Not just for you, for all of us. It's a new start for us, boys. Who knows what the future will hold?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** So what do you all think of Mei? I mentioned her a lot in Crouching Tiger that I thought it would be a good time to bring her in and give her a personality. Ray's finace's name is also revealed. How will she affect things between him and Mariah? And Crystal even? I hope you guys enjoyed the beginning, it's a little slow but it'll pick up fast.

~C.M.


	2. Zeo to Hero?

**_Chapter 2: Zeo to Hero?_**

Max glanced at his watch once more before reaching out for the glass bottle that sat on the table. A small ring of water was left behind when the bottle was lifted. Max popped off the cap and took a swig of the iced coffee while letting his eyes move around the crowded airport. As he suspected he was the first to arrive but he didn't expect to have a large window of time to wait in. He didn't want to go to the hotel by himself so he stopped by one of the available food shops around him and got something to drink while he waited and people watched.

No matter where he was or what he was doing he always ended up people watching. People fascinated him for reasons he still couldn't quite figure out. He enjoyed taking the time to make up stories as to where people were going and why they were in a rush. He always did it as a kid, even his parents joined in sometimes. But, for the most part, it was a game his mother had invented for him to play whenever she had to discuss things with his father.

He knew what that really meant so it didn't surprise him in the slightest when they got divorced a few years later. He accepted it but he was still upset about it, knowing that he wouldn't see his father for years at a time once he moved to Japan. Max sighed at the memory. Sometimes it was great being part of both nationalities but other times it was a major drag.

Max tipped his head back and finished his drink, setting it aside as he leaned back in his chair and stretched. The flight left his body slightly achy from sitting in one position for too long. He tried walking around but he was bombarded by people wanting his autograph or to take pictures that he had to hole himself up in a remote corner so no one would recognize him off the bat.

Not that he didn't like when people wanted his autograph or a photo with him. He knew it would easily make someone's day just to hold a normal conversation about the weather with a fan but it got to the point that he could hardly breath and couldn't see past camera flashes that he needed to get away for a little bit and recompose himself. He never knew how hard it was to be a celebrity until now when he got a tiny taste of it and couldn't help but wonder why, exactly, Tyson wanted to live that life.

Max laughed little at the very idea of Tyson on tv show after tv show giving interviews and explaining why he was (arguably) the best beyblader around. He would eat that lifestyle up in the beginning, Max thought, but at the end of the day he was sure his friend would get sick of the attention on him and not the sport or the exposure that he could bring.

Max leaned forward again and stretched his arms across the table, letting out a long sigh. "Geeze, how much longer do I have to wait?" He muttered, looking around the busy terminal once again. "I wonder if their plane was delayed or something. I made sure to time my flight so I got here about the same time as them."

"Heh…do you always talk to yourself out loud, Max?" A timid voice behind him asked.

Max's heart jumped into his throat. He's heard that voice in his dreams, mainly his nightmares, and he didn't think he'd ever forget it. But he had to be imagining it, right? Max placed an arm on the back of his chair and slowly turned around. He had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing anything but the figure remained where it was.

"Z-Zeo?" Max stuttered.

Zeo gave a very hesitant smile but nodded at Max in acknowledgement. "It's been a while, huh?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet lightly.

"Yeah," Max whispered, finally tearing his eyes away from the young boy.

"Look, um, may I sit down?" Zeo asked, moving back into Max's line of sight and motioning to the seat across from him. Max gave a noncommittal shrug and Zeo took that as an opportunity to stay down. Max merely stared at him. He didn't know how else to react. Inside he was burning with anger for what his so-called friend had done but on the outside he remained calm. "Max…I wanted to apologize," Zeo started.

"That's it?" Max asked. "That's all you wanted to say? You apologize?" He lifted his eyebrows. "How did you even know we're here? Are you following us or something?"

"No! No." Zeo shook his head for emphasis and Max couldn't help but notice that his aqua blue hair had been cut right at the base of his long braid. It was strange, to say the least, to see him without his long hair. "I'm here on vacation…with my dad. We're trying this…bonding thing," he explained with a small smile.

"That's nice," Max said quietly, looking out the window at the ocean in the distance. It reminded him of one of Draciel's attacks. He couldn't wait to get his beyblade spinning again.

"Max," Zeo said firmly, getting the blonde's attention. "I wanted to apologize…for taking Draciel from you. And Dranzer from Kai. You have to understand why I did it—"

"I don't…I don't care," Max replied, surprising even himself at how harsh he sounded. Zeo's eyes widened and he looked crestfallen at the same time. "Taking our bitbeasts…for what? Personal gain? Your father? To become more 'real'?" Max let out a breath and shook his head. "That's not right. You knew about Dr. K and the others who were trying to get our bitbeasts. You knew that we had to protect us but you turned on us for your own selfish personal gain. A friend wouldn't do that. No matter what."

"I know, I know," Zeo mumbled, looking down at the table briefly before up at him. "I regret everything that I did, truly. Please, Max, I…I want you to understand. I…I didn't know what else to do. I didn't know how you all would react to the truth that…that I'm…"

"A robot?" Max filled in for him, lifting his eyebrows. Zeo nodded his head. Max wanted to badly to be angry at the kid, to turn his back on him and not hear him out but he couldn't bring himself to be too angry. He knew, deep down, that he should give Zeo the benefit of the doubt but how could he be so sure that his apology was sincere? How did he know for sure that Zeo wouldn't just turn around and take their bitbeasts again in an effort to be the best? _You just have to trust him,_ Max thought with a bit of resignation. "Look, Zeo, we wouldn't have cared if you were…half a horse. We asked you to be on the Bladebreaker team for a reason, you being what you are had nothing to do with it. I don't know why you thought we'd drop you after all that had happened. We're not like that, especially Tyson. We don't let just anyone on our team, y'know."

"I know," Zeo said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And…and I messed it all up. I…I just wanted my dad to be proud of me and see me as…as his _son_." He lifted his head and Max saw a little flicker of hope in his eyes. "That's why we're here now, to spend some time away from everything and…try to get to know each other I guess. It's a coincidence that we're here, honest. I won't tell my dad I ran into you, he won't have to know."

Max nodded a little. "I think we'd all appreciate that, thank you." Just then he heard some commotion behind him and a large smile formed on his face. There was only one person that could create such a ruckus without even trying too hard.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Hil."

"The _big deal_, Tyson, is that you made the stewardesses go out of their way just to make you _pancakes_ and you hardly even thanked them for all their trouble!"

"I gave them an autographed picture. What more could they want?"

"I highly doubt any woman would want to hang your gigantic head on their wall."

"Says you!"

"Guys," Max laughed, breaking up the argument that Tyson and Hilary were having. "Please tell me you're not going to fight the entire time we're here," he begged, standing and walking over to greet his friends.

"I'll try not to but you never know about this one," Tyson said as he jerked his thumb over his shoulder and in Hilary's direction. She muttered a string of curse words under her breath as the navy haired blader hugged his blond friend. "Well you're a sight for sore eyes."

"You're one to talk," Max replied, lightly punching Tyson on the shoulder. "You never got that Skype thing working, did you?"

"My computer's as old as Grandpa, of course not. I'll try again when we get back."

"Please do. Whoa! Chief, you actually _grew_!" Max commented once he rested his eyes on the computer genius. He placed a hand on top of his head and then hovered it over Kenny's head. "You're as tall as I am! Who knew this day would come?"

"I'm sure he's been dreaming about it longer than he's been dreaming about getting a girlfriend," Tyson replied with a good-natured smile as he slapped Kenny's shoulder.

"Tyson, don't help," Crystal commented while shaking her head. The large floppy hat that covered her hair bent with every move.

"Are you on the run?" Max teased, flicking the brim of her hat.

"Have you been shopping with Michael?" She asked with raised eyebrows, lightly pinching the front of his green and orange jersey-like shirt. "I just tend to burn easily," she replied, lifting that hat off her head and then standing on her tiptoes to give him a hug.

"I never noticed 'till now but you do have fairer skin than the rest of the White Tigers," Hilary commented.

"Don't remind me," Crystal mumbled with an eye-roll. "Lee never passed up the opportunity to make fun of me for it."

"Of all the things to make fun of," Kai muttered from where he was leaning against a wall a few feet away.

Max chuckled at his friends' antics, suddenly hit wit a bit of jealous for not having been able to be with them and get in on their jokes but it wasn't as if he were being left out on purpose. Max was about to ask about Ray and the others when he heard Tyson's soft gasp. He blinked over at his navy haired friend and then suddenly remembered who it was that he was just talking to.

"Zeo," Tyson uttered after a few seconds of spluttering. "Wow…what…what are you doing here?" His eyes widened and blinked rapidly a couple of times, as if not believing what he was seeing in front of him. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see his friends' reactions and saw that they were all shocked as well, save for Crystal who was looking out the window at the beach.

"I'm, uh, I'm on vacation with my father," Zeo replied, a light blush from embarrassment dusted his cheeks.

Crystal then turned her eyes to him. "Wouldn't that be a waste of time considering you can't even get in the wa—_ow_!" She shrieked when Hilary elbowed her hard in the side. "What was _that_ for?" She hissed under her breath.

"You have even _worse_ tact than Tyson sometimes," she sighed.

"I was _just_ wondering how the hell he can even enjoy this vacation if he can't even get in the dang water," Crystal grumbled, rubbing at her ribs. "Geeze, you didn't have to hit me that hard."

"Why don't you go find out when Ray's plane lands?" Hilary asked, widening her eyes in an obvious attempt to get Crystal to understand her subtle gesture. With a heavy sigh and a roll of her eyes Crystal went off to look for flight delays. _Honestly!_ Hilary shook her head and turned to Zeo. "Sorry about her, she's new to our group," Hilary said with a small smile. It dropped almost as soon as she finished her sentence. "Zeo, what're you really doing out here?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zeo stammered.

"Oh come on! You just so happen to be out here on vacation with your father when we're here? That's too much of a coincidence," Hilary replied, crossing her arms over her chest and glared at him. "You want their bitbeasts again, right?"

Zeo's eyes widened and he took a step back. "No! Honest! I'm just here with my father on vacation!"

"A likely story! Where's your secret lab hidden? Huh? Under the island that you can only get to by a submarine?"

"Knock it off, Hil," Tyson said while keeping his eyes locked on Zeo.

"Uh…but Tyson, he could be plotting something," Hilary said.

Tyson shook his head and looked at Hilary with the familiar look of determination in his eyes. "No," he replied simply. "If he says that he's not then I believe him."

Zeo rushed forward and grabbed Tyson's hands and started to shake them vigorously. "Thank you, Tyson, thank you!" He gushed.

Tyson gave a little laugh and slapped him on the back. "Hey, we're buds! It's no problem at all. Hey, maybe you'd like to hang out with us. I mean, we're here to celebrate Ray's birthday but I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

"R-really?" Zeo's eyes widened and filled with hope. "I'd like that very much. I mean, only if you guys don't mind," he added quickly, looking at everyone else.

"Of course we don't mind," Tyson replied, ignoring the group behind him. "Do we?" He turned to see everyone's reactions, max, Hilary, and Kenny all muttered something under their breaths. "See? They don't mind. What about you Kai?" He looked across the room to where Kai was still leaning against the wall, perfectly still.

"Hmm…whatever," Kai muttered.

"In Kai speak, that's a sure," Tyson translated for Zeo. "This'll be the best vacation ever!"

"Tyson, don't you think you should've asked Ray first?" Kenny sighed. "After all it is _his_ birthday."

"Ray won't mind," Tyson said with a wave of his hand.

"But Tyson—"

"There's nothing to worry about."

"Tyson—"

"Hey," Crystal interrupted them, rushing over to the group. She paused to push a braid back over her shoulder. "Their plane just landed. Come on!" She said eagerly.

Hilary caught her arm before she took off running, letting Max, Tyson, and Kenny rush ahead of them. "You know, you're surprisingly cheerful to see someone who you've barely said a full sentence to for the past couple of weeks," she noted.

"Hil, when are you going to drop this detective routine?" Crystal demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and walking with the slightly taller girl.

"When I finally get down to why you've been acting so strangely," Hilary replied. "Well, more strangely than usual." Crystal uttered a sarcastic laugh while Hilary smiled a little. "I saw him kiss her," she stated. Instead of looking at her out of the corner of her eye Crystal turned her head and gave Hilary her full attention. "I saw Ray kiss Mariah," she clarified just in case she wasn't being specific enough. "That's why you wanted to leave the Ball early, right? Because you saw them kiss? It'd make sense, why you don't want to talk to either of them."

"_What_ makes sense?" Crystal demanded.

"That you like Ray," Hilary replied. She watched Crystal's face to try and figure out what was going on inside of her head. Her facial muscles wouldn't stick to one expression, however, so it was hard for the brunette to figure out what she was feeling.

"I don't like Ray," Crystal finally replied while shaking her head. Hilary made a sound of disagreement. "I _don't_," she stressed. "Besides, it's obvious he has some sort of feelings for Mariah."

"What if he doesn't?" Hilary asked.

The Chinese girl shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that I don't like him. So please, would you drop it Hilary? I just want to relax and not do anything for the next seven days but soak up the sun and sleep."

"You're in denial," Hilary sing-songed.

"I am not because the Nile is in Egypt and I'm all the way here in paradise," Crystal replied with a small shake of her head. "And you, as my personal little rain cloud, cannot bring my mood down." Just then they had reached the gat where the White Tigers were supposed to get off their plane.

As soon as Tyson spotted even the slightest glimpse of Ray he jumped over a row of chairs that stood in his way and almost tackled the raven-haired blader to the ground from the force of his hug. Ray smiled good-naturedly and hugged his friend with equal enthusiasm.

"It's good to see you too, Tyson," Ray laughed while patting his friend on the back. "All of you. I know it's only been a couple of weeks but it felt so much longer," he continued, hugging his friends in turn. He went from Tyson to Max to Hilary to Crystal (whom he was surprised accepted his hug) and then to Kenny while the others greeted the rest of the White Tiger team. Kai stayed a few feet away watching the exchanges of greeting. "Wow! I see the weeks have done you some good," he added once he noticed Kenny. "I have to say I'm truly surprised. So, who's idea was this?"

"Oh, it was—" Max started but paused slightly for Crystal was cutting her hand across her throat and shaking her head while standing behind Ray. Max smiled and replied, "It was all my idea. I heard that you haven't been to an island before and we haven't had a proper vacation in a while so I figured, why not?"

"I really appreciate it, buddy," Ray said. "But all of this must cost a pretty penny."

"Don't worry about it. It's to celebrate your birthday! Just forget it."

"Well, okay."

"I can't believe we're here! I've always wanted to come to the Bahamas. It's so beautiful in person," Mariah gushed as she looked around. A very cat-like smile sat on her lips. "I don't know what I want to do first."

"I suggest checking into a hotel," Hilary replied while laughing. Her laugher quickly faded and was replaced with an expression of wonderment in her eyes. "Where are we staying anyway?"

**.:OOO**:.

"No way!" Hilary gasped as she stepped out of the limo and gazed up at the tall hotel that towered over her. "We're staying here? We're actually staying here?" She turned to see the others' reactions to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "We're staying at the _Atlantis _Hotel?"

"Isn't that supposed to be a lost city?" Tyson asked while scratching his head. "Why isn't that under water too?"

"The hotel's named after the lost city Tyson, it's not a part of it," Max corrected him. "Otherwise it'd be very old and we wouldn't be allowed to stay in it."

"Whoa…they have nice hotels in China but this is amazing," Kevin commented as he hopped out of the limo behind everyone else. He lifted his disposable camera to his eye and took a lot of pictures of the surrounding area.

"It's a good thing you have about twenty of those or else you'd run out of film before we even had a chance to do anything," Mariah said while placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can't believe we're staying _here._"

"Are you going to say that about everything we see and or do while you're here?" Crystal demanded while accepting her bag from the driver and slung it over her shoulder. "It's going to get old fast so I suggest getting the shock and awe over with now."

"Excuse me for not getting much a chance to see outside of China," Mariah grumbled, flicking the end of her ponytail over her shoulder. Her eyes had narrowed into slits and her fangs were bared. She was tired of the snide comments; she had to deal with them the entire ride from the airport to the hotel.

"You're making it seem like I was just _granted_ the opportunity to travel around the world," Crystal snapped without turning around. "No need to be jealous of me about _that_."

"I'm not—"

"Don't start," Gary spoke up, his voice rumbling deep from within his chest. "We're on vacation. This should be fun. Everybody needs to smile and be happy."

"The big guy has a point," Lee said as he approached his sister. "Just cool it, okay? We're here for Ray."

"Come on, _children_," Kai grunted, leading the way into the luxurious hotel chain. The group scurried to follow him in. Their mouths fell open as they looked around the vast lobby. Kai went straight up to the check-in desk to get the rooms situated. Kevin scurried around the place taking pictures of anything within his reach.

"Do you guys want to go out to eat or do you want to order room service?" Crystal asked while looking over a menu. "I don't know about you but the jetlag is killing me and I'd rather order in."

"I want to go out," Tyson replied.

"Kai's paying for everything," Crystal reminded him.

"We'll stay in and order Chinese!"

"We're staying in the East Wing of the Royal Towers, 12th Floor," Kai announced, coming back to the group and tossed the other room keys carelessly. "I'm getting my own room. I don't care who rooms with whom but Grandpa advised me that he doesn't want to hear of anyone 'shaking it up and making babies'."

"Why didn't Grandpa come, Tyson?" Ray asked as he picked up a key.

"I asked him not to," Tyson replied. The others gave him shocked looks. "What? He would've embarrassed me around the island girls! I don't want him to ruin my reputation! He'll be fine. He doesn't like the beach anyway."

"Okay, so, it'll be Ray and Lee, Kevin and Gary, Max, Tyson, and Kenny, and the girls and I. Is that fine with everyone?" Hilary asked while picking up a key. She directed her question at the two girls who were looking anywhere but at each other however the other boys nodded to confirm the arrangements.

Without waiting, Kai took off for the elevator and managed to get inside and have the doors close before Tyson reached him. They took different elevators up to their floor and went into their rooms. While Hilary and Mariah oohed and awed over the lavish furniture and accessories Crystal went straight into the bedroom to claim a bed. She mentally screamed in frustration before choosing the larger bed by the window.

"Hey Hil, do you mind sharing?" Crystal asked while digging into her bag.

"No," Hilary yelled back. "Come out here and see the view! We can see the aquarium all the way down by the café!"

"I'll be there in a second," Crystal replied. She retreated her hand from her bag and pulled out a small book of phone numbers. She flipped a page to one that she had jotted down in her hurry to catch the plane and memorized it while reaching for the phone. She put the book back and dialed the number, waiting for the dial tone to sound in her ear. Finally someone picked up on the other end.

"Hello?" A tired and slightly gruff voice answered.

"It's me. We've made it to the island. Everyone's here," Crystal whispered, glancing at the door every now and then.

"Oh, good, you got arrived right on time then," the speaker said, sounding wide awake now. "Everything go well?"

"As planned. He doesn't suspect a thing."

"Good. Thank you. I'll see you in a few days. Thank you, once again. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Mr. Hiwatari."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I didn't plan on taking this long to update but I had projects and papers shoved down my throat as soon as Spring Break ended, but here I am now. I'm trying something out with scene changes because adding a line in for a page break is starting to get on my nerves. The poll responses I have so far are interesting and making me consider changing what I had planned for Crystal. Thanks so much for being patient everyone. Please read and review.

~C.M.


	3. Beach Blanket Beyblading Bimbo

**_Chapter 3: Beach Blanket (Beyblading) Bimbo_**

"Mmmm, what a way to wake up," Mariah said softly as she stretched her arms over her head. The sun's rays streamed in from the window by her bed and cast the room in an illuminating golden glow that seemed to rejuvenate her spirits. Not that her spirits fell that far. They were in the _Bahamas_! Mariah could still hardly believe they were there. If it weren't for the sound of lapping waves off in the distance she'd think she was back in her hut in the White Tiger village.

She got out of bed and smiled once her feet made contact with the plush white carpet. She pushed her long pink hair over her shoulders and got to her feet, shuffling over to the French doors that lead to the balcony. Resting her arms on the railing she looked out as far as the eye could see, gasping at the sunrise. Hues of pinks, reds, and oranges splashed across the pale blue sky as the sun steadily started to rise.

It was a moment like this one that Mariah cherished the most, as if every sunrise was a way of saying that the day was starting fresh, anew. Whatever happened the day before didn't matter anymore, the new day was a blank canvas.

"Hmm?" Mariah turned around as soon as her ears picked up the sound of the ringing phone. "Who would be calling us this early?" She asked herself as she walked over into the groom, gathering her nightgown up in her hands to get to the phone faster. In the other bed, Hilary and Crystal were stirring, the sound of the phone having woken them from their sleep. "Hello?" Mariah answered the phone while sitting down on her bed, crossing one leg over the other.

"Hey Mariah, we're all in the lobby," Ray's voice floated over the line. A smile formed on Mariah's face once she heard his voice on the line. "We're going to have some breakfast and then decide on what to do for the day. Come down whenever you girls are ready." He paused to laugh and add, "But don't take too long, Tyson might eat everything before you get here."

"Okay, we'll be down soon," Mariah replied and then hung up the phone. "Everyone's meeting downstairs for breakfast."

"I call shower first!" Crystal yelled before jumping off the bed and dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Hilary covered her mouth and giggled softly. "It's just as well, she doesn't shower long," Hilary explained at the look on Mariah's face. "So, what do you think we should do today?" She changed the subject, turning her ruby red eyes to the French doors and the cityscape on the other side of them. "I know the boys would want to do something but I'm in the mood to lay around on the beach all day."

"And even my tan!" Mariah added with a squeal of delight. "Yes! We can read magazines all day! It'll be fun. Maybe we can even go to the spa later and get massages."

"Oh, I've been dying for one. God knows I need it for dealing with Tyson for so long," Hilary sighed, running her fingers through her bangs.

Mariah let out a soft laugh and sat down on the edge of her bed, dragging her pillow into her lap. "Y'know, had you not been so adamant on Tyson doing his school duties you wouldn't be here nor would we be friends. I'd say you have a lot to be happy about because of Tyson. You have a lot you need to thank him for."

Hilary lifted an eyebrow. "The headaches? Migraines? Frustration?"

Mariah shook her head. "You know what I mean. Tyson could've easily shoved you out of the way, kept you out of the loop but he let you in and accepted you onto the team. Have you ever thanked him, Hil? Like, _really_ thanked him?"

Hilary's mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find a way to answer Mariah's question. There had to be a time that she thanked her navy haired friend for something. But the harder Hilary tried the larger the blank that she drew. While Tyson was the main reason for Hilary's daily frustrations, Mariah was right. He was the reason for her finally making friends. He was the reason she got to get out of Japan and travel the world. He was the reason she was finally able to open herself up and show the world the real her: the one that was caring and patient, a shinning difference from her public personality.

"You know I'm right," Mariah teased.

"Yeah yeah," Hilary mumbled with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Onto more important matters, what's going on with you and Ray?"

"Absolutely nothing," Mariah replied.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

Mariah shrugged and picked at the thread on her pillow. "I don't know," she muttered. "I like Ray but…he's confusing. He's really nice and sweet and he's such a gentleman but…"

"…But he's like that with everyone," Hilary finished for her pink haired friend. "You haven't even tried to talk to him? I, um…" She paused and cleared her throat. "I saw you two. At the Ball." Hilary nodded a little when Mariah's eyes widened. "Things seemed fine then. What happened? And, more importantly, did you kiss him or did he kiss you?"

Mariah sighed and looked down, her bangs creating a shadow across her face. "I kissed him," she replied. "But he kissed me back! That counts for something, right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Hilary replied. "Though…" She paused. Mariah's golden eyes turned to her in anticipation. Hilary turned her eyes over to the closed bathroom door where the sound of running shower water poured into the bedroom. Turning back to Mariah, Hilary sighed. "I think…I think you have some competition," she admitted.

Mariah blinked and Hilary sat, holding her breath while the news sank into the pinkette's mind. Mariah blinked and turned her own eyes to the bathroom door before looking back at Hilary. "You don't think…?" She couldn't even finish her sentence. She shook her head slightly, as if to knock the invading thoughts out but they continued to push into her brain. "You think Crys likes him?" She asked, her voice barely reaching octaves above a whisper. It was an idea that was so foreign to her that she couldn't even ask at a normal volume. That and she didn't know when the aforementioned girl would leave the bathroom.

"I think so," Hilary replied.

Mariah let out a little incredulous laugh. "No, no I don't think so," she denied, moving her pink hair off of her shoulders. "All she does is make fun of him and go against what he says and suggests. He says do one thing she does the other, despite him looking out for the good of the team. And, besides, they haven't even talked to each other for weeks. You must be mistaken."

Hilary shrugged. "I must be," she replied. She turned around when the bathroom door opened and Crystal came out while finishing braiding a section of her hair. "Hey, I thought you said you went in first because Mariah took too long. What about you? That was a pretty long shower," Hilary pointed out.

"Do you know how hard it is to get all of the water out of this hair?" Crystal asked while pushing her braid behind her shoulders. "It's no picnic." She tossed her bundle of clothes onto her bag and then placed her hands on her hips. "Why?" She tilted her head in curiosity. "Were you timing me or something?"

"No," Hilary and Mariah quickly replied in unison and then glanced at each other.

"Ohhhkayyy," Crystal held out the word, her eyebrow crinkling. "Did Grandpa call at all?"

"No, not a ring," Mariah replied, jumping up and grabbing her bag. "I won't be too long," she said before dashing into the bathroom.

"You better not. I want to get a ride on that water slide before all the kids get in the way!" Crystal called after her before walking out into the living room. Hilary followed her out as she grabbed a grape off of the vine in the bowl and popped it into her mouth. "She's acting stranger than usual, which is saying something."

"Oh she…she just feels a little out of place here, that's all," Hilary said with a small smile. Changing the subject she asked, "What're you looking forward to the most?"

"I want to see the dolphins," Crystal replied, her eyes lighting up. "They're really cool, don't you think? I've never seen any before. Only in books. They're my favorite animal, you know."

"A tiger liking fish, that's not predictable at all," Hilary laughed.

"They're mammals actually," Crystal corrected her. "Because they're warm blooded and because they have wombs and give birth to live dolphins."

"Maybe you should work here, since you know so much."

Crystal smiled. "Live in paradise every day? Who would turn _that_ down?" Then she shook her head. "I don't know, I've moved around so much I'm ready to just stick to one place for a while. Now, let's just hope the world grants my wish."

**.:000:.**

"Morning guys!" Hilary chirped as she, Crystal, and Mariah walked to the restaurant area of the hotel. The boys were already seated at a large, round table. Tyson looked as if he were about to die when the girls arrived.

"Good morning," Max greeted them enthusiastically.

"How in the world as you so peppy this early?" Lee asked with a yawn. He was slumped over a portion of the table in such a way it looked as if he had melted onto it.

"Lee, it's 9:00 am," Mariah pointed out. "We get up much earlier than this."

"He stayed up late last night and didn't get to bed until four," Ray replied.

"Was he watching Pay-Per View?" Tyson snickered before letting out a yell of pain from Hilary having kicked him. Chuckling, everyone reached forward and began to load their plates with food. "So, what're we going to do today?" He asked with a full mouth.

"What _aren't_ we going to do? Kenny asked, his words filled the excitement that was shining through his face. "The whole resort has plenty of activities to do. Snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, parasailing, jet-skiing, banana boat rides, the dolphin sanctuary, aquariums, water slides. We can even rent scooters and go into town."

"Really? I just want to lie out and get a tan," Mariah said with a pout."

"You're already tanner than a good bunch of us," Crystal pointed out. "Besides, we can to do something."

"No, we came on vacation and _that_ entitles relaxing."

"Relax you two. There's plenty of time to do both," Ray spoke up, carefully setting his mug of tea down on the table. "The water slides are by the pool deck, those who want to go on the slides can and those who don't want to can lie around."

"I'm up for the slides," Tyson said with a large gin. "Maxie?"

"You know I'm in, Ty!" Max replied.

"Me too," Crystal jumped in.

"If she's going, I'm going," Kevin added.

"And I'll go to keep an eye on you," Lee stated, a slight growl to his voice. Kai and Gary stayed silent, Gary because he was stuffing his face and Kai because he was staring hard out the window.

"Are you not hungry, Kai?" Hilary asked, noticing that the silent captain hardly touched anything on his plate while the others were almost finished with their first course.

Kai, as usual, didn't say a word but turned his attention from the window and bit into a piece of toast. But even after a few bites of food he pushed his plate away, lowered his head, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. Setting up a large signal that he was not to be disturbed by any of them unless they were asking for a death wish.

"So…half of us will be at the slides and half of us will just lounge around the beach then?" Ray asked. He got nods of affirmation.

"Just in case we change our minds and do something else I'll have my cell phone on me," Hilary spoke up. "And I can call Crys."

"You have a cell phone?" Mariah asked, her voice filled with curiosity and a little bit of envy.

Crystal shrugged. "Yeah, sure. Grandpa Granger got one for me. Said I'm more reliable in keeping contact with him than Tyson is," she added, throwing a grin in Tyson's direction.

The navy haired blader rolled his eyes. "I don't bother because Grandpa can hardly use the phone right!" Tyson explained. "It takes him half an hour just to order a pizza!"

"If he's that bad imagine getting the White Tiger village computers," Crystal commented with a laugh that sounded like a snort.

Mariah and Kevin laughed at the idea. The village was so behind in technology it would be hard for them to adapt to the rush of technology that would be flung at them. And, if anyone wanted to use it badly enough they'd merely take the time to trek to the city. However many inhabitants of the village were fine with how disconnected they were from the digital age and took the time to focus on what mattered: themselves, their families, and the traditions and customs of the village.

Just then a hotel employee walked over to their table, a phone was sitting on a small pillow that he held in his hands. He walked around the table and stopped by Kai's side. "Excuse me, Mr. Hiwatari, but you have a phone call waiting for you. I've been told that it is with the utmost urgency that you pick up," the employee said with a small bow.

Kai finally opened his eyes and shifted them in the direction of the employee without turning his head. Standing, he reached out and took the phone while walking away. He made sure to place his napkin on his plate as he walked off, signaling that he was finished.

"Well, if he's not going to finish his breakfast…" Tyson's words trailed off as he leaned across the table to pick at Kai's plate.

"Leave it alone, Tyson," Kenny scolded. "Let's get going. Kai will meet us there. Besides, I'm sure he won't miss a few moments of silence."

"Yeah, let's go!" Kevin said excitedly while jumping up from his chair.

**.:000:.**

Kai let out a breath as soon as he jabbed his thumb on the end call button on the hotel's phone. He brought his fingers up to his temples which had begun to throb in the onslaught of a headache. Maybe he could skip the whole excursion and have time to himself in the hotel to read or catch up on his sleep. He let out a little scoff at his own idea. Tyson would hunt him down if he didn't show up to either location at all and he'd rather not subject himself to that torture.

Kai paused by the table that was left in a disarray from his 'friends' and wrinkled his nose at the state. It was amazing how easily it was to tell which seat Tyson had been sitting at. If the stacked plates weren't a tell tale sign the stains on the table cloth sure were.

Kai wrinkled his nose at the mess but stuck his hand in his back pocket to retrieve his wallet to leave a good tip. It was the least he could do. It would be torture to clean for whoever's shift it was to take care of the breakfast setting.

"Um, excuse me," a timid voice sounded from behind him. Kai turned around to see, to put it lightly, a blond bombshell standing behind him. A brightly colored sarong was tied around her waist. The straps of an orange and white striped bikini could be seen through the neck hole of the gray crop top that covered her chest but did little to hide her assets. "You're Kai, right? Kai Hiwatari from the Bladebreakers?"

Kai could feel his upper lip curling at the name that Tyson chose three years ago. Kai would've chosen a much better name but, of course, everyone agreed with Tyson because, well, he was _Tyson_.

"Yes," Kai said shortly. Maybe if he didn't lock eyes with her she'd go away.

"Oh my gosh!" She screeched, bouncing up and down on her toes and flapping her hands by her side. In Kai's mind she resembled a bird that was getting ready to take flight. Maybe it'd suddenly be possible for people to fly and she'd flap her arms enough to fly away and leave him alone. "I knew it was you! Oh my gosh, I think you're _so_ hot! Oh my gosh. Can I have your autograph please?" She fluttered her long eyelashes and stuck her lower lip out.

Kai's frown deepened. Was that supposed to get him to say yes? Contorting her face into an expression that made her look more pathetic than she was already acting? Maybe if he said yes she'd go away. With a tiny nod of his head—a movement so slight he was surprised that she saw it—he accepted the marker that was being held out to him and signed her arm. Well, it was different than the body parts he was offered to sign on a normal day, body parts he refused to sign or even get near.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much!" the girl squealed. "I'm Alicia. I'm a _huge_ fan of yours!"

"That's nice," Kai said gruffly, shoving her marker back in her hand and turned to begin to walk away.

"Do you have Dranzer with you?" Alicia asked eagerly. Then she lightly slapped herself on her forehead. "Duh, of course you do. You don't go anywhere without it, I'll bet. Can I see Dranzer?"

Kai let out a soft growl in his throat. This girl was pushing her luck and really beginning to get on his nerves. He turned to give the girl a short yet forceful piece of his mind when he noticed the peculiar look in her eye. Then his eyes traveled down her neck, to her shoulder, and down her arm until it rested on the beyblade that was being held out at him from her palm.

"How about a battle?" She asked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:  
><strong>

I know it's been a while since I've updated but a lot has been going on. Packing, exams, and finally finishing up my sophomore year of college. Thanks for being patient with me and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was different but interesting to write things from Kai's point of view. I've always found him the hardest to capture well so I hope I did a good job with him. Please read and review.

~C.M.


	4. A Little Thunder Never Hurt Anyone

**_Chapter 4: A Little Bit of Thunder Never Hurt Anyone_**

"Mmmmm, I love it here," Hilary sighed in content, resting her cheek on her crossed arms. She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, relishing in the feeling of the sun's rays hitting her back. "Can we just…not go home? Move here instead?"

Next to her Mariah let out a soft giggle and rolled onto her stomach, also resting her cheek on her arms. She closed her eyes and felt her body relax. This was what she needed. How come they hadn't gone on vacation like this before? All she needed was the sun, surf, and sand and she was a happy person. No responsibilities, no crazy beybladers, nothing but peace and relaxation.

"_KEVIN!" _Mariah's voice suddenly pierced Hilary's daydream. She had been getting a massage from the heavens from one of the hot workers at the hotel. He was just about to tell her his name when Mariah screamed. Startled Hilary shot up and opened her eyes to see what it was that made her pink haired friend scream. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the sight.

Mariah had pushed herself up so she was kneeling and shook her head to get the mountain of sand off of her. Kevin stood a few paces away, holding onto a bucket. His free hand was clutching at his stomach as he laughed at his childhood friend.

"Oh my gosh, that's a riot!" He laughed. He brought a hand up to wipe a tear from his eye. "Don't worry, Mariah. I hear that sand has rejuvenating properties in it to help keep your skin looking young."

"And I need it _now_?" Mariah spluttered while running her fingers through her hair to try and get all of the sand out.

"Well, you _are_ getting older," Kevin said with a shrug.

"Yeah? Let's see how old you get when I _kill you_!"

Kevin let out a scream and took off down the beach. Mariah let out a guttural scream and chased after him, her pink hair flying out behind her. Hilary laughed and shook her head at the spectacle. She rolled over so she was sitting down and lightly wrapped her arms around her knees. The gentle sea breeze lifted her hair off of her shoulders before settling it back down.

She loved that she was in the Bahamas with her friends but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Something _always_ happened. They couldn't go anywhere without a random blader wanting to battle them to gain information or their bitbeasts alone. Nothing had jumped out at them yet but she felt ready to jump out of her own skin.

She sighed. She hated that she couldn't help them. She hated that she was always put in a damsel in distress situation. She hated that she had to watch on the sidelines while her friends battled for the safety of the sport—not even the sport sometimes, but their bitbeasts, and their friends, and _themselves_.

She was proud to have friends like them in her life but…she couldn't help but feel like she was a burden. So she was their manager, and? All that consisted of was her having to wrangle Daichi and Tyson, tell them to cool out when they were frustrated, and make a training schedule or two? So what? What'd that do to help them?

Hilary blinked and involuntarily jerked when she felt droplets hit her skin. She looked up. Was it raining? No, she was covered by an umbrella. She turned around and smiled when she noticed the sparkle in Ray's eye as well as the smile that was splayed on his lips. He was crouching behind her, his rat tail in his hands. It wasn't covered in the cloth like it always was; instead it was just one long braid. One long braid that he had squeezed water out of and onto Hilary.

"Hey, where'd Mariah go?" Lee asked as he sat down on the blanket that his sister had previously occupied. He squeezed water out of his ponytail and onto the sand off to the side of the beach towel.

"She's right there," Hilary replied while pointing. As Mariah and Kevin ran down the beach she moved her arm to follow their patch. She dropped it by her side and gave a little laugh. "How was the water?" She asked.

"Crystal clear," Lee answered. "We waded up to our waists and we could still see our toes."

"You should come in next time, Hil," Ray said with a little nudge to her side. "There are a lot of cool shells down there too. And the fish are stunning."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm a beach and suntan kind of girl," Hilary replied. "it also helps when I have a good book," she added while grabbing a magazine that was by her and waved it.

"Let me see it." Ray held out his hand and she snapped the magazine into it. Lee leaned backwards to see what Ray was holding. He took a look at the cover and made an amused scoffing sound. "Blade Boy," he read aloud. "Is this like Playboy? But different?"

"Ray...you live in a remote mountain village, how do you know what Playboy is?" Hilary asked with an arch of her eyebrow. Ray blinked for a couple of seconds before red tinged his cheeks. She grinned and stuck her tongue out at him. "Ah, I'm only teasin' ya," she said while nudging him on the arm. "You're right, though." Ray's head whipped up and he gave her a look. "No, no, it's not like porn or anything. It focuses on the male beybladers, gives us a few posters, and gives us stats and stuff. It's like those magazines for teens, like J-14, but this one is for beybladers. Get it?" Ray and Lee gave her a blank look. "They have one for boys, with female beybladers in it too."

"Is Mariah in there?" Lee asked, a murderous look was in his eyes.

Hilary laughed. "No, silly. You'd know it if she were. They'd have to take her pictures and stuff and interview her for an article." She took the magazine back and started flipping through it. "Though it wouldn't surprise me if they contact Crys soon."

"Oh? Why's that?" Lee asked with a bit of a bite in his words. Ray and Hilary both turned to look at him. His eyes shifted back and forth between the two before he cleared his throat. "I mean, what makes you think that?"

"Well, think about it. An unknown who is skilled. Has a paired bitbeast with Ray. Basically walked onto the G Revolution team. Beat Garland. And is now an official Bladebreaker. Who _wouldn't_ want her in that magazine," Hilary replied.

"So…other guys would be ogling her?" Lee asked.

Hilary gave a little shrug. "I wouldn't go _that_ far, but yes. She's actually pretty…when she wants to stop dressing like a boy."

"You know it's easier to talk about people when they're not here," Crystal announced her presence as she joined them. Her hands were on her hips and a sour expression was on her face.

"Heh heh. Sorry," Hilary muttered.

"Hey, how was the slide?" Ray asked with a smile. He lifted his arm to reach out and give her a hug but stopped in the middle of his movement and, instead, ra his fingers through his bangs to push them out of his face.

"It was _awesome_!" She gushed with bright eyes. "You go _so_ fast! And there's this one portion where you slide right underneath _sharks_!"

"You call that fun?" Hilary asked in disbelief.

"It's not like they're shoving us in the tank. We just go sliding underneath it. You don't even know they're there you go so fast. I didn't even realize there were sharks until the guy running the slide pointed it out," Crystal explained. She dropped down on the blanket and squeezed out her braids. "What're you readying?"

"Blade Boy," Hilary replied.

Crystal's eyes widened. "Is that the one with Thunder McKnight?" Hilary's head barely completed her nod when Crystal ripped the magazine out of her hand and started flipping through the pages like rapid fire.

Hilary laughed and shook her head, moving over to make room for Ray on the beach blanket. He stretched, in a very catlike manner to Hilary's amusement, before lying down on his stomach. He rested his chin on his arms and looked out at the water.

"Who's Thunder McKnight?" Lee asked.

"Only _the_ hottest, newest blader to hit the scene," Crystal replied. "I hear Mr. Dickenson might bring him into the BBA."

Lee grunted and took the magazine from her, ignoring her protests. "Let me see," he grunted. His eyes scanned the page and he let out a little scoff. "Doesn't seem so good to me," he mumbled.

"Well you're blind," Crystal replied with a roll of her eyes, taking the magazine back. Lee made a face at her when she turned her head. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out in the distance.

Hilary's eyebrows slid together at his behavior. He had the most sour look on his face and he seemed so happy and full of life before. She wanted to question it but didn't know how to go about it. She still didn't feel like she knew him well enough to ask him anything personal, or talk to him like a friend would for that matter. He either spent his time with Ray or Mariah and, if not them, challenging Tyson, Michael, or Rick to a battle. She never really spent time with anyone outside of her team and her comfort zone.

"Hey Lee. Hey Ray. Where'd you end up disappearing to?" Mariah's voice cut through the silence. She walked back over to the towel and sat down on the free spot in front of Ray. He smiled at her and moved so he was sitting up and to give her more space.

"We just took a walk down the beach," Ray replied, waving his hand in a random direction. "Have you been in the water yet?" Mariah shook her head. "Why not?"

"I don't want to get my hair wet."

"It'll dry," Crystal commented without looking up from the magazine.

"Yes, but it took too long to get it perfect. I don't want to risk it," Mariah replied, bringing her hair over her shoulder. She lightly stroked it for emphasis.

"Where's Kevin?" Ray asked.

"Oh, he's buried in the sand," Mariah replied nonchalantly. She reached in the cooler they had brought along. She was about to pop open her soda when she noticed the look that Ray was giving him. "Gary's with him. Don't worry, I didn't burry him alive," she said with a sigh. "He deserves it though," she added under her breath before taking a sip. "Where are Tyson and Max?"

"Signing autographs last I saw," Crystal replied.

Hilary scoffed. "Won't get Tyson away from them, then. It's a safe bet that we're not going to see him for the rest of the day at least." She added a nearly inaudible _hopefully_ under her breath. Ray smiled at her, having heard what she said with his sensitive ears. She gave a smile and a shrug. "Ray, what do you want for your birthday?" She suddenly asked. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Mariah tense slightly and shift her attention to the sand around her, keeping her ear in his direction. Hilary let out a soft sigh.

Mariah was like a puppy sometimes.

Ray's face twisted in thought. He hadn't given it that much thought. Birthdays for him always pass by without anything special going on, usually because he was back at the village and not with his friends. He did get a special cake from some of the matrons of the village but otherwise the day went by like usual.

What could he possibly want? He had Driger and he had his friends. Ray bit his lip. But there was one thing he's always wanted for his birthday. One thing he always wished for but never received, it never stopped him from wishing for it but deep down he knew that sooner or later he'd have to give up on it but the five-year-old inside of him wouldn't.

He wanted to see his parents again. He wanted to be able to feel safe in his mother's arms and get wrapped up in her flowery scent. He wanted to be able to show his father how much he grew up and be someone that he would be proud of. He wanted to know that they were safe and they were thinking of him. Was it so hard to send a letter? Even Lee and Mariah got letters from their parents every now and then. Albeit they were short letters but at least they got some. It always killed him to see the looks of excitement on their faces when a new one arrived out of the blue but, as the friend that he is, he had to stay supportive of them and plant a happy smile on his face.

But how much longer could he hide until they realized he was hurting?

"Ray?" Hilary's voice pulled Ray out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He mumbled. "Oh, I, uh…I don't really want anything," he replied with a shrug. "I have everything I could ever want with me right now: my friends. That's all that matters."

"_Bor-ring_!" Crystal interjected. They turned to see her eyes finishing their roll in her sockets. "You have to want _something_," she added.

Ray shook his head. "No, I'm content with what I have already."

"So you don't want us to get you anything?"

"I never said that."

"That's what I thought."

"Hey, do we have any food? I'm starved!" Tyson announced his presence with an accompanying slap to his belly. A large grin was on his face as well as a sparkle in his eye that always seemed to pop up whenever he was discussing food.

"Where have you been?" Ray asked.

Next to him Max rolled his eyes. "Some kids asked us for autographs. We were happy to give it to them but then they kept asking Tyson about Dragoon and all of his battles and, well, _you_ know Tyson. He couldn't skip over a moment to _brag_." Max lightly elbowed Tyson in the side for good measure.

"What? They wanted to hear the story of how I took Tala down," Tyson said.

"You didn't have to tell it three times," Max pointed out.

"They wanted to hear it three times!"

"There's such thing as modesty."

"What's that? Some kind of snack?"

"Ugh."

"Don't mind him, Max," Hilary said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He wouldn't have modesty even if he knew what it was."

Tyson crossed his arms over his chest. "I would so!" He protested.

"As much as I love hearing you two go at it like an old married couple, has anyone seen Kai?" Crystal asked while raising a hand to her shield her eyes and looked around. "I figured he'd be out here by now."

"No, we haven't seen him," Ray replied.

"Your friend is a little tied up at the moment."

All at once their heads swiveled around to see who it was that had addressed them. Tyson dropped his arms but his frown deepened slightly as he took in the boy that was standing in front of them. A very tan boy stood in front of them with his hands placed on his hips. Unlike the other beach visitors he was still clothed in jeans and a t-shirt. His silver colored hair fell into his eyes but it didn't hide the grin that sat on his lips.

"What'd you do with Kai?" Tyson demanded, his hands clenched into fists.

"I didn't do anything to him," the boy replied while laughing a little. "He's not in any trouble. I just saw him battling some girl in the lobby of the hotel." He ran his fingers through his bangs and revealed his striking golden eyes. "You must stop jumping to conclusions."

They struck Max deep in the pit of his stomach and shook him to the core. He looked around to see that the others weren't so affected by his eyes like he was. They weren't like the eyes that belonged to the members of the White Tiger Clan, these were different. The pupils didn't dilate in such a way that reminded him of a cat. Instead they were…eerie. Like the eyes of demons or monsters in stories he was told when he was younger.

"Yeah, Tyson," Hilary added, rounding on him. "You should really give people the benefit of the doubt!"

"Wha…? Buh…" Tyson stammered.

"Excuse me, but who exactly are you?" Mariah asked while crossing her arms over her chest. She eyed the boy and made a slight face when his bright eyes turned to her. His smile got a little bit wider.

"Oh yes, I have to remember that not everyone in the world knows who I am," he replied calmly. "Though, if you look by your foot I'm sure the name will jump out at you," he added while nodding at the space by her.

Her eyebrows came together and she looked down. She barely had a chance to look at the magazine when she heard a sharp intake of breath near her. Turning her head she took in the slightly amusing sight of Crystal pointing at the guy with wide eyes. _For once she has nothing to say,_ Mariah noted mentally with a slight smile. _I wonder how long this'll last_.

"You're…you're…you're….," Crystal uttered, her finger shaking slightly. "You're Thunder McKnight."

He lifted an eyebrow. "That I am." His eyebrow lowered and his eyes moved in her direction. "Ah, I know you. You're that…that gemstone girl."

"Her name's Crystal," Lee shot back at him.

"He can call me whatever he wants," Crystal said with a wave of her hand. Lee scowled at the dopey grin that was on her face. "Why're you here?"

"Looking for you of course," Thunder replied. "All of you, I mean. I hear you're the best around, correct?"

"In the whole world, actually," Tyson replied, puffing up his chest. "So, it's a beybattle you want, eh? Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean I'll go easy on you."

Thunder pressed his lips together and laughed through his nose. "Oh no, silly boy, not you. I want to battle someone else," Thunder replied. Tyson _humphed_ and shot a glare in Hilary's direction when she started laughing. "How about it?" He asked, setting his sights on Ray. "A quick battle right here, right now?"

"If you really want a battle, hotshot, battle me!" Lee said as his hands clenched into fists.

Thunder laughed again. "Sorry but I'm not into small potatoes."

"_Small potatoes_?" Mariah snarled, her pupils dilating to reflect the fury that was bubbling inside of her. "How dare you call the White Tigers small potatoes? I'll take you on myself!"

Thunder sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Honestly, you're only embarrassing yourselves. You might want to stop now." He turned to Ray who had stood by silently. "So, how about it Ray? A battle?"

"Hmm," Ray mumbled. As much as he wanted to decline the pride inside of hi was surging. Despite being a Bladebreaker he couldn't stand whenever someone spoke against his village's team. He was still a White Tiger at heart and if one of them was insulted he was insulted as well. Being captain he knew he should put a stop to it, make this Thunder McKnight guy pay for what he said and make him leave with his tail between his legs, but something about the strange made him get the uneasy feeling that it wouldn't be that easy.

"Well?" Thunder urged. "I don't have all day. I have places to go, people to see…"

"Let me deal with this guy, Ray," Tyson begged.

"No," Ray replied calmly. "I'll battle you." He turned to his friends. "Did you bring our blades?" Wordlessly Mariah went over to one of their bags and pulled at the drawstring top. She dug around for a couple of seconds before producing Ray's gray blade, a launcher, and a ripcord. "Thank you," he mumbled before setting up his beyblade. "Are you ready?"

Thunder smiled and nodded. "Follow me," he said as he turned and began to walk away. They followed him a short distance along the beach where a simple rounded beydish had been set up. The children that stood around the dish stopped what they were doing and looked up at them in awe.

"See? See? I told you I met Tyson!" One boy boasted while the other children looked at them with wide eyes.

"I can't believe they're actually here," a little girl squeaked. Her eyes were so wide Hilary wondered how they hadn't popped out of her head yet.

"Beat it, kids, we have some grown up battles to do here," Thunder said as he stepped forward.

"W-we were here first," the smallest boy said, his lower lip began to tremble.

"Yes, but we're here now. Move!"

"There's no need to talk to children like that!" Crystal snapped, pushing past Thunder. She knelt in front of the boy that had tears lining the rims of his eyes. The annoyed look on her face was quickly replaced with one of compassion. "It's okay," she said quietly while reaching out and wiping away his tears. "Don't worry about him. He's just being a little impatient. You can watch the battle with me and my friends okay? Afterwards I'll give you guys a few pointers, is that alright with you?" The boy nodded and allowed her to usher him and his friends away from the beydish. "Alright, Ray, get this battle over with," she sighed.

"Did I strike a nerve?" Thunder asked while blinking innocently.

"I'm going to strike _you_ in a second," she snarled through clenched teeth.

"Relax, Crys, I can handle this," Ray said as he stepped up to the dish and got his launcher ready. "Put your beyblade where your mouth is, McKnight. I'd like to get back to m vacation if you don't mind."

Thunder shrugged and loaded his launcher, getting into a launching stance once he was finished. Ray's eyes narrowed as he felt his muscles tense under Thunder's intense gaze. He shook his head slightly and let out a very slow breath, focusing all of his energy on his blade and on Driger. _This kid is an amateur but he he's been getting the attention of others. Don't underestimate him. Stay on your toes and get ready to pounce_.

"Bladers ready?" Max asked as he lifted his arm into the air. "Three! Two! One! Let it rip!"

Thunder and Ray yanked on their ripcords and sent their beyblades flying into the dish. Thunder's blade moved to the center of the dish whereas Driger went on the attack almost instantly. He would smash into the opposing blade, back away, and then come in for the hit again.

"Come on, Ray, knock this guy out," Tyson called from the sidelines.

"You can do it, Ray!" Mariah cheered.

"Show this hotshot what the White Tiger Clan can do," Lee added.

"Yes, please, teach me a lesson," Thunder laughed while crossing his arms over his chest.

Ray spat out a breath. "Driger, let's go!" He commanded. His gray beyblade reared back before smashing into Thunder's blade. A sudden boom of thunder echoed across the beach right as the two beyblades collided.

"Whoa!" Hilary uttered, her eyes turning straight to the sky. "Did you guys hear that?" She asked, looking around at her friends. They didn't need to utter a word for her to know that they had heard something as well. She turned her attention to the children that started to whimper around her.

"Something doesn't feel right," Crystal murmured. "Something in the atmosphere is off." She bit her lower lip. "I can't put my finger on it."

Just then another clap of thunder sounded in the sky. The children gathered in around the older teens and let out little cries of fear. Wind started to pick up causing ocean waves to slam against the shore. Dark clouds formed out of nowhere and blocked out the sun, casting an ominous shadow across the whole beach. Before anyone could blink rain came pouring out of the sky as if the clouds had opened up right above their heads. The children began to scream and cry out as another boom of thunder shook the ground.

"Ray, finish this!" Lee yelled over the wind.

Ray nodded. "Driger, come on!" He yelled. Driger began to move around the dish but any attack that he tried to land on Thunder's blade missed. Ray gritted his teeth and curled his fingers until his hands formed fists. Again and again Driger tried to land a hit on Thunder but his blade never made contact, it always spun out of the way as soon as it got too close, as if being repelled by a force field.

"Ray, what's going on with Driger?" Tyson yelled over the booming thunder.

"I don't know!" Ray yelled back. "He hasn't done this before!"

Just then a loud clap of thunder made them all cover their ears with their hands. Ray brought his hands up to his ears and gritted his teeth. Thunder stood across from him looking as cool and composed as ever. _This is getting too dangerous; I have to end this now before someone gets hurt._

"Driger, Gatling Claw!" Ray called over the roaring wind.

A bright green beam of light shot out from his gray beyblade and rose straight up into the stormy sky. But Driger didn't come out with it. They all waited on baited breath to see the large white tiger come out roaring but nothing happened. Instead the brightest bolt of lightning that they have ever seen shot out of the sky.

"_Move it!_" Ray tried to yell but his voice was drowned out from the wind.

It didn't stop the scream of pain that reached his ears and made his heart lurch in a painful way.

And all at once it stopped. T

he wind. The rain. The thunder. The lightning. Everything. The clouds parted as quickly as they had materialized and the sun shone brightly as if nothing that happened. The waves calmed back down and gently lapped at the beach. Breathing heavily Ray slowly lowered his hands and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was that Driger was lying half buried in the sand. Then he noticed that Thunder and his beyblade were now gone. His eyes shifted from where his beyblade lay to where his friends had been standing.

A scream tore itself from Ray's throat at the figure that lay slumped over on the ground.

"_MAX!_"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:  
><strong>

Here's the next one. Excuse any typos, please, I've been editing this chapter for days. It's part of the reason why it took a little bit for me to update. I've had writer's block on and off and then as soon as I got an idea I wanted t be sure the chapter was at it's best. What do you think? What do you think's wrong with Driger? What about Thunder? What's going on with Kai? You'll have to stick around to find out. Please read and review.

~C.M.


	5. Swimming in the Deep End

**A/N:** _And finally here's a new update! And it's a longer one to boot so I hope you guys didn't mind the wait. This is a longer chapter than I usually write and I think most of them will end up this length, not only in this story but in the proper sequel as well. So far it's named Crouching Tiger: Yin and Yang but the title is still subject to change. That's merely a placeholder for now, but who knows? It could stay. I hope you enjoy the chapter, please read and review. Thank you to those that are reading and reviewing and those that have stuck around._

~C.M.

**P.S.** _Also, thanks to those who took the time to answer my poll. Those that haven't, please answer for me. I'd really appreciate it._

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 5: Swimming in the Deep End<br>_**

Kai's jaw started to hurt from how hard he was clenching his teeth. This battle wasn't as quick as he thought it was going to be. This Alicia girl…she was good, he hated to admit. _Refused_ to admit. She was still holding on and Kai threw almost everything he had at her. She made it seem so easy which only angered Kai even more.

She probably was only into the sport because of the flash and the fame. She probably didn't have the heart for it like he did or the rest of his teammates and that, he thought, was the problem with the sport. What made him consider retiring because the pure love of the sport wasn't so evident anymore, not with the sponsors running back and forth to try and get advertising. It made him sick and he didn't want anything to do with it anymore.

"Come on Dranzer, end this!" Kai ordered. With a bright beam of light the majestic phoenix rose out of his dark blue beyblade. But that only lasted for a few seconds before the firebird was sucked back in and the light faded with a few flickers and then went out completely. A growl rumbled in Kai's chest as he tried to summon his partner again but Dranzer didn't show up.

Glancing up Kai's eyes rested on the smile that sat on Alicia's features. A serene look as plastered onto her face. It was a little too calm. Kai _hmph_-ed and ordered Dranzer to attack again. He didn't need his bitbeast to defeat the silly little girl. Dranzer rammed into her beyblade a few more times before one more hit finally knocked her beyblade to the ground where it stopped moving.

They had been moved to battle in the outside sitting area of the hotel, knowing that it would be very disrespectful to battle inside. A crowd had gathered around them and, except for a few whispers, they were completely quiet as they watched the bladers go at it. Now that the battle was over cheers and applause punctuated the air as Kai grabbed Dranzer who had launched itself into his palm.

_What a waste of time,_ Kai thought as he looked his beyblade over. He turned a disdainful look to the girl but she was still smiling as she reached down and picked up her forgotten beyblade. His eyebrows lowered as well as his eyelids so he was squinting at the girl. The smile on her face was beginning to bother him.

"Thanks for the battle Kai," Alicia said with a flutter of her eyelashes. "It was fun."

Kai hardly cared about what she had said for his attention had turned to the sudden sound of booming thunder that grabbed his attention. A few moments later the wind had picked up noticeably. Kai brought his arms up to his face to block it from the wind as he looked around. The clouds had darkened suddenly. A little too suddenly to be normal. His eyes darted around before he had to block them with his arms from the sudden bolt of lightning. He could hear the others screaming and the distinct footsteps as they ran away but Kai stayed put. There was something weird about this storm; he could feel it in his bones.

And all at once it stopped. The dark clouds disappeared and the bright sun bathed everything in a golden glow, as if rejuvenating paradise. Kai's nose wrinkled slightly at the sudden change. He turned to find the area empty. Good, it was the way he liked it. A shadow of a smile formed on his face as he pocketed Dranzer and shoved his hands into his pockets afterwards. His fingers brushed against the symmetrical edges of his beyblade while he rolled his shoulders back, trying to get the tense feeling in his muscles to relax.

"Kai! Kai!"

He turned around and let out an almost inaudible moan. He didn't want to be bothered for one thing and, for another, he didn't want to be bothered by Zeo of all people. He would've taken Tyson at the moment, or that red-headed nuisance that Tyson so lovingly called Monkey Boy instead of Zeo. There was still bad blood there, as far as Kai was concerned. He had gone and let the desire of wanting to become a beyblade champion go to his head and he took it to another level that Kai would never deem forgivable. No one fucks around with Dranzer and should expect to ever get back on his good side.

Kai's fingers curled into fists at the sight of the blue haired boy. How could he even show his face around them, let alone him after what he did? He wondered briefly how Tyson could even let a thought go through his mind that everything would be a-okay if he tagged along on their outing. But that thought didn't pass through his brain for too long. It _was_ Tyson after all. He'd do anything to have someone, anyone, worship him at his feet if he ever got the chance.

"What do you want?" Kai demanded, his voice was cold, the exact opposite of the white hurt fury that was bubbling up inside of him and settled in his chest. His fingers began to ache from how hard his fists were clenched but he couldn't risk letting them go. He wouldn't be able to stop himself from strangling the traitorous nuisance.

The aqua-blue haired boy in question was doubled over, panting from having run to find the older blader. He had seen his friends battling someone on the beach and had run off to find the wielder of the phoenix as soon as possible. Something about the other blader didn't feel right to Zeo. "It's…it's the others. They're battling some blader and—"

Kai interrupted Zeo with a scoff and a roll of his violet colored eyes. "Tyson's mouth always gets him into a match. It's nothing new and it's not my problem, kid," Kai responded while taking on his usual stance: arms crossed and eyes closed. He had turned to walk off and get some much needed alone time when he felt a hand on his arm, grabbing him and stopping him. "You have five seconds to let go of me."

"But…but something is _wrong_, Kai!" Zeo insisted, his voice lifting in concern. "I…I saw some of the battle. Driger wouldn't come out of the blade and—"

"_What_?" Kai hissed. He whirled around so fast that Zeo's hand flew off of his arm. Kai's eyes narrowed as he looked off in the distance, searching the beach for his teammates. Driger hadn't been able to come out of his blade as well? So it wasn't such an isolated event, if Dranzer didn't come out when Kai commanded his partner to as well. But what kind of power could cause a bitbeast to stop from coming out of a beyblade, Kai wondered. His already tense muscles tensed even more, if that were possible, and they began to ache. Finally he spotted the group, crowding around something in the sand. Gritting his teeth Kai made a beeline for them.

No doubt this was all Tyson's fault.

* * *

><p>"Max! <em>Max<em>!"

"C'mon buddy, get up."

"Did someone get a doctor?"

The weight that had been pressed onto his eyelids finally went away and Max was able to lift them. They fluttered under the effort to gain enough strength to open them fully. Once they were open a fraction he slammed them shut for the sun was brighter than he was used to. Uttering a soft groan, Max lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the sun and finally managed to blink his eyes open fully. His ocean blue eyes shifted from face to face of his friends and then he gave them a small smile.

"'M alright," he told them as he tried to sit up.

"Be careful, there, bud. That was some fall," Ray said as he put a hand to Max's shoulder and helped him into a sitting position. The Chinese blader was kneeling by the blonde's side, a look of concern sat in his amber eyes.

"Are you sure you're alright, Max?" Hilary asked him. "Did you get hit by the lightning?"

"Huh? Mm-mm," Max mumbled and shook his head. "No, I just blacked out. Nothing hit me." Suddenly he gasped. The match! He didn't see what had happened when he had been knocked out. His ocean blue eyes darted around to his friends' faces again to see if the had any visible injuries but they all looked fine to him. He let out a small breath of relief. "Everyone's okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, we're all fine," Lee responded. "Got some sand in places where it shouldn't be but otherwise…"

"What about the kids that were watching?"

"They're fine too," Crystal spoke up while giving a short nod. "Despite what happened they enjoyed the battle so…" she gave him a double thumbs up. "That's a bright side! We're getting more kinds interested in the sport. Just…you know, at your expense."

The blonde rolled his eyes but chuckled while reaching out his hands. Ray and Tyson both grasped them and pulled him to his feet. He stumbled slightly and swallowed back the nausea that hit him. A few moments later he felt perfectly fine and relayed the message so they would stop looking at him in that way. It was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Who won?" Max asked as she brushed sand off of his swimming trunks.

"No one did," Ray responded. His voice was tight and suddenly his eyes hardened. "That Thunder guy disappeared."

"Is everyone alright?" The group turned to see Kai who had approached them, a stern look settling on his features. His eyes scanned each of them in turn before turning to Ray specifically. "Zeo said that Driger didn't come out of his blade," he said, cutting to the chase. "Is that true?"

Ray nodded once. "I don't know what it was but something stopping him from coming out."

A humming sound came from Kai's throat. "The same thing happened to Dranzer," he explained. "I just battled someone, tried to call on Dranzer and he wouldn't come out."

"That's strange," Hilary commented. "Maybe they're damaged?"

"From what? We haven't had a proper battle in ages," Max pointed out.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Good point."

"Maybe we can ask Chief about it," Tyson suggested.

"Where is he anyway?" The blonde asked.

Tyson shrugged. "I dunno. Last I saw he was talking to some guy about marine organisms or something else equally boring. Wherever he is I'm sure he'll catch up to us."

"Well, we don't seem to be in any immediate danger, right?" Crystal stepped in. "I don't know about you guys but I say we get back to or vacation. We can talk to Chief about it when we get back to the hotel." She looked at them all in turn. They all had varying degrees of worry on their faces. For Ray and Kai worry seemed to be hitting them the most, however that was only a guess on her part for Kai. His face remained as stoic as usual. "Come on, they're gone. It was probably just a coincidence. We haven't battled in a while; they might not have had enough energy. Besides, I'm getting hungry."

Mariah placed a hand on her own stomach which emitted a low growl. "I am too."

"And I know for a fact Gary's hungry."

"Gary's always hungry," Lee pointed out.

"And you know as well as I do that making him wait isn't the best thing to do." She said to Tyson and Max in a stage whisper, "Guy gets angry when he's hungry. And you don't want to make him angry."

Max made a scoffing noise with his mouth. "Oh yeah, I remember him being angry alright. Draciel is still a little skittish from that battle."

"Well, it's settled then! Let's go get some lunch!"

* * *

><p>When they said they were going to get lunch none of them expected for Kai to lead them to a large yacht that was docked, waiting for their arrival. It was going to take them out onto the water for a picnic lunch at sea as well as give them the opportunity to see the marine life and maybe even some sea turtles.<p>

Max seemed to be the most excited about the idea. "It would feel like actually meeting Draciel," he explained as he rushed over to the edge of the deck to look down at the clear water that matched his eyes. The others chuckled and threw a few jokes his way as they scattered around them yacht themselves, looking around at their surroundings from every angle. Kevin eventually found himself with the boat's captain, learning everything that he could about steering the boat. Mariah and Hilary went underneath to lay down and relax and talk about everything that girls talked about. Kai stayed away from everyone else, as usual, sticking towards the back of the boat while Gary, Tyson, and Crystal went straight for the food.

And Lee, he spent most of the trip out with his head over the rail battling sea-sickness. Kenny joined him when they were halfway out, both looking positively green in the face. While he wasn't sea-sick, Zeo stayed smack dab in the middle of the boat. Tyson had somehow convinced Kai to let Zeo tag along—well, took Kai's silence as a yes—and now the quiet boy was simply watching everyone else interact with each other when he wasn't looking off at the shrinking island paradise.

"Look at all those fish!" Max said excitedly while pointing into the water below them. "I can practically see every scale!"

"You're going to see my breakfast in a few minutes too," Lee groaned while holding his stomach. His sister was rubbing his back and giving him some ginger-ale to drink every now and then but that didn't seem to help. Hilary went off in search for sea-sickness pills for the two boys to ease their stomachs.

"Now I know why cats shouldn't go near water," Tyson teased. He pushed away from the railing and looked around. "Aren't we out far enough yet?" He demanded while raising his voice. "I want to go swimming! Somebody drop the anchor."

"Why don't we just drop you? Your head is heavy enough," Crystal teased while lightly elbowing him in the side.

"Ha ha, very funny."

Hilary finally emerged with the sea-sick pills and handed them to Lee and Kenny before moving them to a few benches on the boat deck near Zeo. He studied their faces but didn't say a word, turning his eyes back to the horizon line as they continued to move further out. Five more minutes of traveling and the boat finally slowed to a stop. The anchor was dropped and all at once people in black and white attire came around, placing trays of food for them around the boat deck. With a bow and a flourish they all retreated back to the lower decks.

"Aww, finally! I'm starving!" Tyson practically drooled as he reached for the food.

Hilary slapped his hand away and wagged a finger at him. "Ah, ah, ah. If you eat you have to wait an hour until you can swim, Tyson," she reminded him.

Tyson's eyes got wide as he turned his head this way and that to look at each option. He looked as if he were going through a large dilemma, which was a strange sight indeed. Tyson giving up food just to swim? But it wasn't every day that they got to swim in the ocean, in the Bahamas no less, and see all of the fish.

"Oh, I'll eat later! C'mon Maxie!" Tyson said while punching a fist into the air. "We have some swimming to do!"

"I'm right behind ya, Tyson!" Max said eagerly before the two shed themselves of their sandals and their light jackets. "Anyone else coming?" He asked while letting his blue eyes trail over the group.

"I'm going to stay and make sure Lee's okay first," Mariah responded. Hilary agreed to the same plan but with Kenny as her main focus. Kai didn't say a word, which they took as a nod, and Gary was already stuffing his face with food. Kevin was nowhere to be found, which worried Lee even though he couldn't get up to do anything about it and Zeo stayed silent.

"I could use a good swim," Ray said as he placed his hands on his knees. He got to his feet and arched his back, stretching his arms above his head while letting out a little yawn. "Are you sure you two don't want to come?" He asked Mariah and Hilary with lifted eyebrows. "I'm sure it won't be too long before they're feeling well."

"Just until they get better," Mariah said while placing a cloth on Lee's forehead. She turned to him and shot a sweet smile in his direction. "After that we'll join you boys." Hilary had to lightly nudge her to keep the pink haired girl from openly staring at her old friend. She ducked her head and felt warmth brush across her cheeks and it wasn't from the sun.

"Anyone else?" Tyson asked while looking around. "What about you, Crys? Or are you afraid of getting your hair wet?"

Crystal stuck her middle finger up at him. "I'm coming, I'm coming," she said while shrugging out of her own jacket and kicking away her flip-flops. "How much trouble would I get in out here if I drowned Tyson?"

"I'd look the other way," Kai spoke up, of course without opening his eyes.

"You're hilarious, Kai," Tyson said with a roll of his eyes. "Zeo, are you coming?" As soon as the words left his mouth a gasp followed and he rubbed the back of his head. "Hey man, I'm sorry. I forgot."

Zeo gave a patient smile. "That's alright, I'm used to it Tyson. It's not a big deal," he responded.

"What can't he swim?" Crystal asked curiously while tilting her head as she gathered her four braids up and pulled it back into one long ponytail. When Hilary shot her a pointed look she faltered. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were a robot." She let out a cry of pain when Hilary kicked her in the leg. "What was that for?" She demanded while reaching down to rub her leg. "What'd I say?"

"Just go," Hilary sighed with a wave of her hand. With a shrug she, Tyson, Max, and Ray moved to the edge of the boat and took turns climbing the railing only to jump off of it with a holler and land in the water with large splashes. "Gosh, she's almost as bad as Tyson," Hilary grumbled while rubbing at her temples. "I'm sorry about her, Zeo."

Zeo shrugged and rubbed at his arm. "It's alright. It's kind of like…a verbal tick…once people know. You get used to it."

Hilary nodded and crossed a leg over the other. "So…what have you been doing, Zeo? Since we last saw you?"

Zeo sighed and scratched at the back of his head. "Trying to patch things up with my father, mainly," he responded after a few moments of silence. "He's…he's not all bad, Hilary. I know you and the others might not believe me when I say that but it's true. Father has changed…is changing. We both are. We're taking things one day at a time. I've reenrolled in violin lessons and going to school."

"That sounds interesting. I didn't know you played the violin. Wow."

"Yeah, he's nationally recognized," Kenny uttered from where he was laying down. His voice was steadily becoming stronger again. It wasn't shaky as it was before he puked. "He gives concerts all over the world."

"That's amazing. It must be a lot of fun, getting to travel while playing."

"Yeah, it is. The sights are great too but it gets kind of lonely sometimes when my father can't see them with me but I show him the pictures and it's almost the same."

Hilary's smile faltered slightly. She cleared her throat and turned away from Zeo to look to Lee who looked as if he had just fallen asleep. His face was peaceful and he was breathing slowly. It made her a little sad to hear Zeo's stories. She remembered back when he was a kid who just wanted to beyblade and have a lot of friends but now he sounded lost and a little empty. After letting his father steer him in the wrong direction Zeo lost everything, his friendships, his beyblade, and his respect.

"Hey…listen, I'm sure the others will come around," Hilary told him. "You seem sincerely apologetic for all that you've done. They'll have to see that. I'll bet Max and Tyson won't be that hard to convince…"

"Yeah, but Ray and Kai…I took Kai's bitbeast," Zeo said sadly. "He won't ever forgive me for that."

"Maybe he will one day…" _Who am I kidding? Kai still holds a grudge from everything that Boris did to him. Kai would rather wear a pink tutu than to forgive someone for taking his own bitbeast_, Hilary told herself with a small shake of her head. But she didn't want to let Zeo in on her worries so instead she added, "Just give them some time. Pushing it will only make things worse."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Zeo agreed.

Zeo watched forlornly as, over time, Hilary, Kevin, Lee, Mariah, and Kenny joined the other four in swimming. Their laughter and shrieks of glee filled the air and filtered in through his synthetic ears. Sighing he pulled his knees up to his chest, finding a slight struggle as the salty sea air messed with his robotic joints more than he had expected.

_It's not fair,_ he mused. _Why am I still being punished for something that I couldn't control? I thought my father was right at the time, that the only way I could be the best beyblader around and gain respect from the others was to show them how powerful I was and how to beat them. So what if my bitbeast came from The Rock? It was a bitbeast like the others had. Did they want me out of their little club at the time? I just wanted to be their friend. And look how that ended…_

_I'm not the same guy I used to be. I worked hard to get my life back on track, or whatever kind of life I have. I gave up beyblading and focused on school and m violin playing. I didn't think about anything that I had done before and I tried to change myself but my past continued to catch up to me. Everywhere I played people would give me side glances or ask about Cerberus. I don't want to think about that anymore but they wouldn't leave me alone about it. I worked so hard at getting to where I am now and I'm still being pushed down._

_Tyson and Max will probably come around, they're letting 'em hang out with them after all. Tyson seems to have forgotten about everything, or moved on at least and Max seems to be on that road. But I don't know about Ray and Kai. Kai especially. I've changed in as many ways as I could, I even go to church sometimes and confessed all of my sins. I've cleansed myself of what I've done every way I could but it won't count unless they forgive me like the others have done. I hope they can, maybe…maybe they could see me as part of the Bladebreakers again…like they did before._

_They all accepted me. Even Kai! They all wanted me to be a part of the team, I can't forget that day. It was a great feeling, finally having someone as a friend. And now it's all gone because of one mistake I made. Because of my father. And my spot was taken by the new girl…_

He rested his forehead on the top of his knees and gritted his teeth at the joyful noises of the gang playing around, punctuated every now and then by a scream from Hilary, Mariah, or Crystal, covered up by splashes and laughter. He squeezed his hands tighter against his knees.

_It's not fair. It's just not fair! I worked hard to get that spot on the team and now it's gone! Taken away from me just like that. My life…over. But I won't let it go without a fight. I won't be replaced, I refuse to be! You're going to regret this, all of you!_

Zeo lifted his head again, this time his eyes were drawn to the silent and mysterious captain of the BBA team. He faltered slightly when he noticed Kai starting at him, a hard frown on his features. Zeo didn't break eye contact with him, Kai's eyelids lowered until he was flat out glaring at Zeo. Zeo shivered under Kai's gaze and stood suddenly, making an excuse about needing to get into the shade before walking away stiffly.

* * *

><p>"Wow, these fish are so beautiful!" Hilary gasped while pressing her palms against the glass separating her and the tropical fish.<p>

After taking the boat back to shore the group split up to do different things: Kai went off on his own, of course. Tyson, Kenny, Max, and Hilary decided to take a look at the aquariums in the hotel, and the White Tigers decided to try and get a hot rock treatment at the hotel's spa. Zeo had disappeared as soon as the boat reached the dock, barely leaving the group with a proper goodbye as he ran off.

"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Hilary had asked.

"Don't worry about him I'm sure we'll see him around later," Tyson responded with a wave of his hand.

Hilary half expected for him to show up at the aquariums and follow Tyson around like he used to but it looked as if Zeo had really changed during their time apart. No longer was he the lost little puppy that followed the World Champion around and dote on him but he now acted normal, shy even. But she didn't blame him, it would be hard for anyone to try and get back into someone's good graces.

Hilary turned her head to make sure she hadn't wandered off to far from the others. The hotel was large; she didn't want to get lost in it. But Tyson was still by her side, taking a look at some of the dark colored fish on the tank next to her. Somehow Max and Kenny had wandered off and she didn't even notice.

But that wasn't too hard a feat for she had slowly began to shift her attention more towards Tyson lately. She couldn't put her finger on it but something about him was different than she remembered when she first met him. Yes, there were the obvious changes such as him getting taller, dressing better, and his voice getting deeper. (Going through the cracking stage was the highlight of her life). But there was something else, something more subtle that she couldn't quite figure out but something about it always grabbed her attention, no matter how much she hated to admit it to herself.

"Hey Tyson, they have some sea turtles a little further down here," Hilary said as she turned her head away from the navy blader and pointed at a few tanks down. She could hear Tyson approaching behind her until he was standing by her side and looking in the direction that she was point.

"Oh, totally cool! Let's check it out!" He said eagerly and raced ahead of her.

Hilary lifted her bag higher on her shoulder and followed him at a slower pace, admiring the other fish as she walked along behind him. Her favorite being the Angel fish. They seemed elegant as they swam through the water, their tendrils gently following behind them as if leaving a trail. It was almost like a dance, to her, watching them move through the water so precisely.

At Tyson's urging she sped up her walk and joined him at the turtle tank. She felt a gasp pull at her chest before it was released. They were beautiful, slowly gliding through the water. The sun that streamed in through the surface illuminated their shells and seemed to give them a golden glow, detailing every groove and bump of their homes.

"They're so cool," she breathed, fogging up the glass slightly. "No wonder Max likes turtles so much."

Tyson chuckled. "Yeah. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he ever became a Marine Biologist."

"Yeah, I can see that happening. He'd be a great science teacher too, I think."

Hilary pressed her lips together and let out a slow breath while studying the turtles as they moved around in the tank, swimming around each other, away from each other, as if in their own dance, their own world… Hilary was pulled out of her stare when she heard Tyson clearing his throat and vaguely felt him moving away from the glass. She turned around and watched as he sat down on a bench, rubbing at the back of his neck with his palm.

"I, uh…" he mumbled and finally looked up at her. The intense look in his eye made her heart skip a beat. "I never really thanked you, have I?"

Hilary blinked in his direction.

"Thank me? For what?" She ventured to ask.

"For…well, _everything_," he responded with a little laugh.

"I don't follow."

"I mean…" he sighed and rubbed his palms on his shorts, licking his lips. "If it weren't for you who knows where we would be? Your support is a big reason why we're still here today, still world champions. If we didn't have someone on our side, cheering us on even when things were bad, I don't know where we'd be. And you're a great manager as well." He looked up at her. "I guess…I just want to thank you for putting up with all of us. Me especially. I know I haven't made things easy for you through the years, especially during school, but I appreciate all that you've done for us. You're a great friend."

Hilary stared at him as a wave of affection suddenly washed over her, crashing around inside of her heart. "Oh Tyson," she whispered. To say she was touched was an understatement. There were no words in the English language that could easily describe how she felt. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you to say."

Tyson shrugged. "Well, it's the truth," he responded. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a star on a chain. But a closer look helped her realize it wasn't just a star pendant. Inscribed on one side was her name in cursive handwriting, on the other was BBA. "Here. It's just, uh…a little token of our appreciation, I guess you could say. You deserve it." He held it out to her.

She reached out a hand—a shaking hand—and let him drop it into her palm. The piece of jewelry felt ice cold against her warm skin. She turned the star over in her palm, carefully looking at it as the light bounced off of the shiny surface and made it glow as if covered in glitter. Slowly she closed her hand around it and tilted her head back a little to smile up at him.

"I love it Tyson," she said quietly. "Thank you."

"Ah, it's no big deal."

Hilary looked down at the necklace again and once more looked up at Tyson. He had a shy smile on his face, a vast difference from his normal cocky smile. But it was cute, at least Hilary thought so. It gave him an adorable boyish look…

"Hey guys!" Max's voice echoed from down the hall. Tyson and Hilary pried their eyes away from each other and looked at him. "There you are. Come on, we're going to watch some movies back up in the rooms."

"Okay, we're coming," Tyson and Hilary replied in unison. They glanced at each other out of the corners of their eyes before looking in opposite directions. A light dusting of blush settled onto their cheeks.

* * *

><p>A can flew through the air before resting on the ground with a light, metallic clang. A sneaker connected with it once more and it skidded across the ground. With one more forceful kick the can was sent flying.<p>

"This isn't fair," Zeo mumbled under his breath. "We were supposed to get away from work, but no, it's always more important than I am! Hmph! Some father. Some promises." Zeo lifted his head and looked around where he had walked to. He didn't recognize any of the shops around him that held many necklaces and hats and other accessories for the tourists.

Frowning Zeo turned to walk away when he heard a gear grinding sound. The unmistakable sound of a beyblade. Following it he found himself in an alleyway tucked between two shops. He squinted to look in the shadows, finally spotting three people tucked near the back of it, talking quietly.

"Who goes there?" A gruff voice shouted out.

"Show yourself!" A female voice added.

Zeo hesitantly stepped forward. "M-my name is Zeo," he stammered. "I'm sorry, I heard your beyblades and I got curious. I don't mean any harm."

The female turned to look at the silent guy, who was probably their leader. He pushed himself off of the wall and walked over to Zeo, looking down on him. "He's good," he finally announced to his friends.

"Are you sure? He showed up around that Kai kid," the girl said. It was then that Zeo recognized who the female was. It was Alicia. Her face was contorted into a frown as she looked over at Zeo. "He could be one of them."

Zeo lifted his hands. "I'm…I'm not one of them," Zeo told her. _Whatever that means_, he added silently. His eyes swung over to the other guy and recognized him as Thunder, the one who took on Ray. "So…you guys are beybladers," he stated. "Do you…have bitbeasts too?"

The leader laughed quietly. "Kid, we don't need bitbeasts with the kind of power _we_ have," he responded.

"Don't tempt him, Kaoru," Alicia spoke up. "He looks green; he wouldn't be able to handle this."

"H-handle what?" Zeo asked.

"Get lost, kid," Thunder spoke up. "This doesn't concern you."

Kaoru's eyes studied him slowly before he looked over to Thunder and Alicia. "I've heard about this kid before. He managed to capture Dranzer and Draciel once." He grinned when both Thunder and Alicia gasped. He turned his attention back to Zeo. "He might come in handy..."


	6. We are Family aren't We?

**_Chapter 6: We Are Family Aren't We?  
><em>**

"Are you enjoying the island, son?"

Zeo stopped poking his fork into his Sunny-Side up egg and lifted his head from his hand to look at his father. Dr. Zagart was looking at him, waiting for a response. Zeo didn't offer one up right away. He sighed and began poking at his food again. Dr. Zagart picked up his mug and lifted it to his mouth. He blew against the steaming surface of the coffee a few times and then took a sip, gently setting the mug back down on the table.

The morning had brought another beautiful day to the island. The sun dominated a cloudless blue sky and seemed to bathe the entire resort in a golden glow. The waves crashed against the beach and the place was already alive with tourists running about, excited for their new day. A few families sat at larger tables around the two, talking quietly about their next planned activity.

"It's…okay," Zeo finally replied, timidly. The aqua haired boy took a smile bite of his egg and chewed slowly as he let his eyes move around the hotel's restaurant. Everywhere he looked fish swimming around in glass stared back at him. Their bright, colorful bodies moved gracefully through the water, being illuminated by pockets of light. Their big eyes shifted around as they slowly swam around in circles.

Zeo sighed. _I know how you feel, little fish,_ he thought while watching a fish go around in another circle. _Feeling stuck and that there's no other way to go but in circles. That must get tiring, huh? _He brought a napkin up to his mouth and slowly dabbed at it.

It was a moment like this that he forgot that he wasn't real. He could eat and drink like the others, having taste buds placed on his tongue so he could experience that. He could think and speak and feel and hear like any normal person as well. But he did still have his limitations. Mainly being that he couldn't get submerged in water and that he never would fully know what it was like to be a normal kid.

Being on the island and waking up every morning reminded him of it. He had to sit down and get charged for fifteen minutes to be sure that he didn't run out of power. He had to be checked for condensation in his circuits every night. He couldn't get too angry or else his power levels would get too high and steam would fly out of his joints.

And he hated it.

Looking up at his father he studied the man's face. Fine lines collected in the corner of his eyes. In the past year more had shown up, Zeo noted, but he didn't say anything to his father about it. He didn't look as worn out or stressed as he did when he was chasing after the Sacred Spirits.

_Just so I could become his son again._

Giving his head a small shake Zeo forced another bit of egg down his throat and swallowed, pushing aside the thought that he would have to get his stomach cavity emptied out later. He looked out at the fish once more and watched them swim around. It wasn't until he felt a heavy hand on his arm that he tore his eyes away from an angel fish.

"Zeo?" Dr. Zagart said. Zeo blinked up at his father. "I asked if you were having a good time," he said, his gravelly voice held a concerned undertone.

Zeo nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I met some new people. They're really nice. We were going to do something later."

Dr. Zagart nodded. "It'd be good for you," he said.

Zeo's smile stretched a bit wider. He thought that luck had been on his side when he met Alicia, Thunder, and Kaoru. They weren't afraid of him, even when they knew what he was. They accepted him into their group easily. He hadn't had so much fun in a while. And the best part was that they wanted to teach Tyson and the others a lesson.

He almost jumped for joy at that news. He and Tyson were friends once. Hell, he still continued to look up to the navy haired blader but there was a score he needed to settle. He couldn't do it on his own, he knew, and that's where the others came in.

Now Zeo began to grin.

Yes, this was going to be a good vacation.

* * *

><p>Tyson uttered a loud groan that caused Max and Kenny to stir and roll over. Tyson tried to pull a pillow over his head but it was yanked out of his grasp. A few seconds later he felt the full force of it coming down onto his head.<p>

"Get up, Tyson!" Kai's rough voice pierced through his lollipop-filled dream. Tyson groaned again and, this time, pulled the covers over his head. "It's time to train!"

"But Kai…" he whined. "We're on _vacation_!"

Kai's eyes narrowed as they swept around the sweeping group. Grunting he knelt and grabbed onto the side of Tyson's mattress. With a tug and a yelp Tyson landed on the floor with a thud, the pillows and blankets falling atop of him. Max and Kenny instantly woke up from their beds and looked sleepily over at Tyson.

"Hm. Training doesn't take a vacation," Kai grunted. "Be out in ten minutes or you'll regret it." He turned and stalked out of the room, ignoring the angry shouts coming from the room behind him. He stepped out into the hall and let out a sigh, only turning when he heard amused laughter.

"Tyson's still not a morning person then?" Ray asked as Lee grinned next to him. They were both leaning against the wall closest to the door in the hallway as they waited. Gary and Kevin were leaning against the opposite wall. Kevin only so he could stay standing, soft snores fell from his mouth alerting the others that he had gone back to sleep right after he was woken up.

Kai didn't offer up a response but crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, falling into his usual stance. While others thought that he was simply ignoring those around him in need of time to himself his brain was actually working in overtime, processing a million thoughts that were flying through his head at once.

And today his mind was being filled with questions about the Alicia girl. She seemed like just another beyblader that wanted to take down the Champions but he knew, after the battle, that there was more to it to her. Never before has Dranzer refused to come out of his blade. But as soon as he battled this girl he was a no show.

_What kind of power did she posses to keep him inside? Or does Dranzer know something that I don't?_

Max and Kenny finally emerged from the room, both yawning and rubbing their eyes but they did look more awake than before. It was a few minutes after that Tyson finally emerged from the room. Sleep still had its hold on him; he was looking at them all through barely-opened eyes.

"Kai, it's too early for this," Tyson whined.

"You call nine in the morning early!?" Lee exclaimed. He scoffed and shook his head, a smirk curling his lips. "Try surviving a day at the village. Up by five and down by eleven only to do it all over again the next day. This is nothing." He crossed his arms over his chest and added in a condescending tone, "But I guess that's what the city does to you. It makes you too comfortable."

"Hey!" Max cried out.

Ray placed a hand on Lee's shoulder. "Now there's no need for that. He's just not used to being up before noon." He chuckled and added, "His grades now make sense.

"Ha ha," Tyson laughed sarcastically. "So, where are we headed? The beach?"

"The gym," Kai replied. "You need to get your body back into shape. Beyblading isn't only about how strong your blade is, after all."

"Ugggh! The _gym_!? I hate the gym!"

"Why? Because it showcases how weak you actually are?" Kevin spoke up, his eyes slowly opening and a lazy smile formed on his face. "Weakest link."

Tyson expelled a breath through his nose and clenched his teeth, feeling a muscle in his neck pop out. It wasn't too long ago he remembered first encountering the White Tiger team. Kevin got under his skin back then with his 'Weaklest Link' crap and it still got under his skin now.

"Oh yeah?" He growled. "I bet I can lift more weights than you can, Shrimp."

Kevin's purple eyes drifted down to his arms. "I don't know," he drawled. "Your arms look kind of noodle-y to me." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You might hurt yourself."

"_I'll show you—_"

"Tyson, calm down," Kenny spoke up. "Don't get yourself too worked up." He lifted a finger. "Kai does have a point,even though we're on vacation we should still get some body training in just in case those bladers come back for another battle. With our track record that's going to be an inevitable occurrence because, come on, when have we ever had a break? Us going to the gym is the best thing we can do instead of waiting around for an attack to happen."

"Shouldn't we wake up the girls, then?" Max asked while motioning to their door down the hall. "They should be training with us as well."

Tyson let out a laugh. "Let them sleep!" He locked his hands behind his head. "They need their _beauty rest_ after all, don't they?"

Max frowned at Tyson's words. He knew for a fact that Hilary would not be happy being left out. And Mariah's reaction would be much worse than Hilary's he guessed, like Hilary she had a mouth on her and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Heck, none of the girls were.

"And besides, they'd probably just slow us down," Tyson continued. "Needing our help and everything. They can go to the spa." He waved his hand in a dismissive way and started off down the hallway. "Now come on. The faster we get there the faster we can leave!"

Max looked over at Ray who was frowning at Tyson as well. Obviously his sexist comments didn't sit right with him either. Were they supposed to chalk it up to Tyson being Tyson? He flung those sort of comments around Hilary all the time, and every single time he'd earn a thrashing in return. Yet he didn't ever seem to learn, even If his intent wasn't malicious at all. It was just how he viewed girls.

"He never learns does he?" Ray finally uttered.

"Mm-mm," Max mumbled with a shake of his head. "But then again…I guess he wouldn't be Tyson if he learned that quickly. We might as well go, before he finds himself in way over his head."

He forced his feet forward to follow his best friend, each step making the guilt in his stomach weigh heavier. _It wasn't that big of a deal_, he told himself. _We're just letting them sleep in, that's all. _But no matter how many times he told himself that the sick feeling wouldn't go away. It was the same he felt when they banished Hilary to a circle in the sand the year before for disrupting their practice and when they wouldn't let Zeo blade with them.

Max when did you become a follower?

He could practically hear the disappointment in his mother's voice. Shaking his head he forced his thoughts over to the session they were about to have, a little bit anxious. He wasn't much of a gym person himself. He preferred to get out on a bike, be in nature, not stuck in a box that smelled like a sweat sock.

But with Kai as Captain he knew he had to listen. He was always right about these things.

As soon as they got into the gym Kai gave off orders of where each person would work: Tyson would spend time on the treadmill, Max on the bike, Kevin on the elliptical, Kenny on the stair climber, and Ray, Gary, Lee, and himself would work with the weights and then the group would switch.

Max got a quick rhythm on the bike, watching a prize-awarding game show as he ignored the burning in his legs. Sweat dripped down his face and landed in droplets on the floor around him. When he wasn't lost in the show he was concentrating on keeping his breathing even and glancing down at the heart rate monitor to see where his levels were. He smiled at the numbers and eased back to a slow pedal.

Placing his hands behind his neck he turned to see how the others were doing, almost faltering at how fast Tyson was running. No doubt Kai had amped up the speed and the incline if he ever thought that Tyson was slacking. Now he was practically wind milling his arms to stay up, pushing his legs to keep him going.

"This is _torture_!" Tyson yelled.

"If you can speak properly you're not working hard enough," Kai responded, his words coming out slow from the grunts that were shoved in between each one as he lifted a barbell across the room. Gary was spotting him but it didn't seem as if he'd need the help. Nearby Lee and Ray were going at it on the rowing machine, as if in a silent competition with each other.

The normal with those two.

"_Kai!_"

Laughing, Max got off of the bike and walked over to his friend. "You know, it's alright to slow down to a walk and work your way back up again," he told Tyson. As soon as the words came out of his mouth Tyson's fingers frantically pushed at the buttons on the machine, beeps filling the room until he came down to 1mph.

"Kai…is…a…jerk…" Tyson panted, doubled over. His cheeks were almost as red as his hat underneath the fine layer of sweat that settled onto his skin. His hair lay disheveled and limp underneath his hat. "That was…ridiculous! I'm not that out of shape! I practice kendo for crying out loud!"

Max continued to chuckle as he jumped and held onto the front of Tysons's machine. He grabbed his friend's water bottle and squeezed water into his mouth. A chill ran down his spine as the water went down his throat. He could almost feel the cool liquid spread through his body and cool him down inside out.

"Yeah but that's only when Grandpa can keep you still long enough to do it," Max pointed out and set the water bottle back down into the holder. He hummed a sound of confusion at the reaction Tyson displayed once Max mentioned his grandfather. He began to tug at the hem of his shirt and then fidget with his hat, taking it off to wipe sweat off of his forehead and then fiddling with it until it lay in the perfect position.

Odd.

"Wouldn't it be better if you took that off? Aren't you hot?" Max asked.

Tyson shook his head rapidly. "Hey, no way. I never take this hat off! Never!"

Max held up his hands as if to block his words. He knew it was a loaded question. He knew the sentiments behind it but Tyson looked like a tomato! Surely it would be better for him to take the hat off to stay as cool as possible. "Okay, okay, it was just a suggestion." He paused and watched Tyson walking for a minute. "Have you heard anything from him?" Max asked.

Tyson didn't need any more details to know to whom Max was referring. "No," he replied sullenly, the light in his eyes fading a little. "Nor Daichi. Those jerks."

Max frowned. He then snapped his fingers at a thought that just suddenly came to his mind. "Grandpa's called a few times," he told Tyson.

"I know," Tyson replied.

Max blinked. He knew? But Grandpa said that Tyson never called him back. He wasn't even sure if Tyson knew he had called. "So…how come you didn't call him back?"

Tyson shrugged. "I've been busy. And you know how it is with him, once you get him started it's hard to get him off the phone and I want to be out as much as possible. I can't sit around listening to him complain about new technology all day, you know."

Nodding slowly Max stayed silent. Admittedly Tyson _did_ have a point. Grandpa was slowly getting used to Tyson introducing new technology into his home. He had just gotten used to cell phones and he did call and awful lot and whenever Max answered it was to talk about something new he had found out about it. But Max just guessed he was lonely. With Tyson, Hiro, his own son, Daichi, Crystal, Hilary, and Kenny all gone from his home there was no one for him to talk to. He was so used to having a full house. And he called a lot when they were on the road as well.

But this was different.

Tyson always responded as soon as he heard that Grandpa had called him and now he was ignoring it?

Max forced a smile on his face. "Just give him a call later then. Just so he doesn't worry you did something stupid and got eaten by a shark."

"There's too much chatter going on over there!" Kai called.

Both Tyson and Max looked over at him. He was sitting up on the bench and staring at them hard, a wringed towel in between his hands. At once Tyson amped up the speed on his treadmill and Max went back to his machine.

Friend or not Kai was still as scary as when they first met him.

"I'm glad you brought that up," Kenny spoke up as soon as Max sat down on his bike again. Max looked over at him. "Tyson's made me come up with so many excuses for why he wouldn't talk to Grandpa."

"Really?" Max blinked. Kenny nodded. "That's weird."

"I'm beginning to think Tyson's avoiding him."

Max laughed. "No way! Tyson loves his Grandpa, no matter how crazy he is. He wouldn't do that!" Kenny didn't respond. He just hummed and went back to his workout. Max took that as his cue to do the same.

Across the gym Lee and Ray continued to work on the rowing machine. Their moves were in sync and very smooth, even a bit fluid like. They took in breaths and let it out at the same time, leaning back to pull on the machine and gently lean forward to reset the weight. Forward and back. Forward and back. Their faces were a mask of concentration. Their bare chests shone with the sweat that had settled onto their skin. The muscles in their backs and arms rippled with each tug on the machine. They worked in silent synchronicity until Lee finally broke it with a grunt.

"My arms are on fire," he groaned as he eased the handle forward and set it on the ground. Ray did the same and watched as Lee rested his arms on his knees and lowered his head, taking a few deep breaths. Reaching down next to him he uncapped his water bottle and held it out to his friend. "Thanks," Lee grunted and squirted a stream into his mouth. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and replaced the cap. "I've been thinking," he started as he passed the bottle back over. "About Driger the other day. Ray…why do you think Driger didn't come out?"

Ray took a moment to respond. He didn't know either. It hadn't happened to him before. He remembered Dragoon refused to obey Tyson once but he didn't refuse to come out when he was needed… He shrugged. "Dunno," he finally replied. "I've been thinking about it myself and I haven't been able to come up with any answers. It's just too weird."

Forcing himself to his feet Ray walked over to a bar that was suspended from the ceiling. With a small jump he grasped onto it, locked one ankle around the other, and proceeded to do a rapid amount of chin ups as he thought about the past battle.

What was weird about it was the sudden lightning storm that came up. It wasn't anywhere in the forecast and he was sure storms don't happen that fast, even if the weather was unpredictable. And it was almost as if the large cloud popped up just to hit _them_. They were the only ones within striking distance of the lightning, especially Max. And was he imagining it or was the lightning green…?

Ray blinked and pulled himself out of his thoughts when he felt eyes on him. Lifting himself above the bar he held on as he looked over at Lee. Lee's intense golden gaze stared right back at him. _Uh oh_. Ray's seen that look many times before and knew what was behind it.

"That's not the only thing you wanted to ask was it?" He questioned his partner as he let himself down and lifted up once more.

"No," Lee replied.

"I figured as much." Ray grunted and pulled himself up to the bar again. "What's up?"

Lee hesitated before finally blurting out, "It's about Mariah." Ray's head tilted slightly and his eyebrows came together. Before he could say anything he heard a loud yelp and focused his attention over to Tyson who was jumping around and holding his toe, a dumbbell lying on the ground by his feet. Kevin snickered nearby as he continued with his arm curls.

Shaking his head Ray went back to the pull-ups. "What about her?" He asked and cleared his throat. "Is she alright?"

"Besides being desperately head-over-heels in love with you, then yes," Lee bluntly stated. It caused Ray to falter slightly. He didn't expect his friend to be so candid about whatever it was they needed to speak about. Nevertheless it made a blush rise to his cheeks, a normal habit now whenever he caught himself staring at her or thinking about the Ball from a few weeks ago. "Anything to say?"

Ray continued to do the pull-ups in silence. What could he say? Nothing that would pacify Lee long enough so they wouldn't have to have the conversation. It was the only reason he's been avoiding Mariah. He felt bad about it; before everything happened he considered her one of his good friends. Someone he could go to when he wanted a laugh or to be cheered up and —not that he'd admit this to her— to get his ego stroked as well from time to time.

But now all of that went flying out the window.

Lee sighed as he continued to watch Ray. "You're really messing with her head," he informed his best friend. Ray grunted in response. "Since when are you such a coward?"

Releasing the bar Ray dropped to the ground, his feet barely making a sound on the shiny surface. Gone was the relaxed expression on his face. It was now replaced with unbridled annoyance. "I'm not a coward," he grumbled.

"So what else do you call it?"

Why won't he just leave this alone? Lee was worse than Kevin sometimes when it came to wanting to know others' business. No, he was worse when it came to wanting to know things when it came to his _sister_.

"Look, this is a delicate situation. I don't want things to mess up between us. Let me handle it, okay?"

"Do you like her at least?"

Ray rolled his eyes. "Of course. She's one of my dearest friends. I would not do anything as callous as lead her on. She means a lot to me."

Their golden gaze was held for a few moments. The suspicious look never fell from the lion blader's face. He finally let out a breath and shook his head breaking their stare. "I'm letting you know…if she ever comes crying to me about you…or you hurt her…Galeon and I won't go easy on you," Lee told him, his voice stern. "She's my sister and I love her to death and while I see you as a brother I will not let anyone hurt her and get away with it. Understand?"

"Yeah, I understand Lee," Ray replied, a bit taken aback. Now if only Lee could blade with the same intensity and focus as he used to. It's been so long since Ray has seen that level of intensity in his eyes, especially in a battle. It was almost as if as soon as Ray returned Lee's technique and confidence disappeared…

"Hey," Max suddenly uttered, grabbing their attention. The blond boy was looking around with a confused look on his face. "Where did Kai go?"

"If he went to get breakfast without us," Tyson groaned.

"Relax," Kenny spoke up. "We have no reason to worry. Kai always does this. I don't know why we keep wondering about his whereabouts at this point."

Kenny had a point.

* * *

><p>"<em>What<em>!? They left without us!?" Hilary yelled. The man behind the counter shrank back at her outburst and stepped away from the counter as she leaned over it. "What do you mean they left without us? Are you sure?"

The man gulped. "A-all I know is what I saw, m-ma'am," he stuttered. "Th-they left about an hour ago." His voice began to shake from how hard his body was trembling. He prayed that he angry woman wouldn't swing at him or cause even more of a scene. He was just doing his job after all.

"I can't believe this," Mariah gasped with a shake of her head. Her hands were placed on her hips and a scowl sat on her lips. "What was the point of going on vacation if they don't include us?" She tossed a scoff in the man's direction. "Oh, Lee's going to get it."

"I bet this was Tyson's fault!" Hilary growled as she stepped away from the counter. "You know how selfish he can be! Well, wait until I see him again! Leaving us out! That's ridiculous! Are we not a part of their teams? I tell you, they wouldn't have gone far if it weren't for us!"

Crystal stood away from the ranting girls, their loud voices echoing around the lobby. A few passersby stopped to see what the commotion was about and that was when she distanced herself. No need to let others know that she was friends with them at that moment. She didn't want to be pulled into the embarrassing scene.

Lifting a thumb to her mouth the black haired blader began to chew on the nail and stayed quiet as she watched them. They were beating down the 'relax' part of the vacation, that was for sure, with how worked up they were getting over something so trivial. She sighed. So what if they went to the gym without them? It wasn't as if they needed the boys around to be able to do something on their own and a break from the boys every now and then _was_ a good thing.

Finally she dropped her hand from her mouth when she felt a thin nail land on her tongue. She looked at her thumb and wrinkled her nose as the mangled nail that was left behind. Looking around to be sure no one was watching her she casually spit the nail into the dirt bed of a nearby potted plant.

"I've never been more insulted in my life," Hilary mumbled as the two girls walked over to the lone Chinese blader.

Crystal blinked. "You two are making too big of a deal about this," she sighed while brushing a braid behind her shoulder. "It's not the end of the world. See, now you go tan again without interruptions. Hilary, Tyson won't be making comments about your magazines." She paused as a thoughtful look came to Hilary's ruby red eyes. "And you, Mariah, don't have to worry about Kevin throwing hermit crabs at you again."

Mariah looked as if she were about to protest but her shoulders slumped. "She has a point," Mariah said with a sigh, sounding almost as if she didn't want to admit it.

Bright blue eyes jumped towards the ceiling before completing their roll down to a normal position. Just then Crystal flung her hand to her back pocket where her phone lay and grabbed onto it when it buzzed. "I want to go check out the video games they have here, get some fun in before Tyson barges in and becomes competitive about it. Why don't you two go get a manicure?" She began backing away when her phone buzzed once more. "Afterwards we can go to the beach and I can start a crash course on Beyblading with you, Hil."

She did not wait for a response as she turned around and walked quickly towards the hall that would take her to the game room. Once she was sure she was out of their sight she pulled out her phone and checked the screen. An envelope sign on it flashed signaling that she had a text message. She smiled.

Finally.

Flipping the cover of the phone shut with a jerk of her wrist she looked out towards the lobby again. The girls had left. Perfect. Straightening up the Chinese blader walked out of the hotel and down the street, following the directions into town that the concierge had given her earlier.

_Six blocks South, four West, and two South again. Easy enough._

She turned her face upwards towards the sun and smiled at the beauty that surrounded her. Everything looked fresh and crisp. No wonder people always lamented about not living on a tropical island. Everyone was so relaxed and happy. If she had the chance she'd live there as well. Time would slow down and nothing would matter but to live life and enjoy it.

Her smile quickly turned to a frown at that thought. It wasn't as if she'd ever be given that chance. With a heavy sigh and a heart to match she continued on her way, glancing in at different store windows along her walk. Finally she reached the meeting spot. Pressing her palms against the window she looked around to see if she could spot a familiar face. When that tactic drew a blank she brought out her phone to compose a message but stopped when a shadow fell over her screen.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," the man said, chuckling at Crystal's first instinct to jerk out of the way. Her muscles instantly relaxed and her heartbeat slowed down, allowing a small smile to form on her face.

"You didn't. I'm naturally a bit jumpy, that's all," she responded as she craned her neck to look up at the tall man. He was easily a little more than six feet in height, casting a shadow over the small girl. His short midnight blue hair, styled to perfection (maybe with a little help of gel?), faded to gray around his ears. Fine lines formed in the corners of his eyes when he smiled, his deep purple eyes seeming to lighten at the gesture while a smile formed on his mouth.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Hiwatari." She clasped her hands together and bowed, feeling the heavy weight of her braids falling in front of her face and lightly tugging on her hair. "I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for me. If it weren't for you…" she let her voice trail off as she stood again.

_I'd probably be dead._

He chuckles and holds up his hands. "I should be the one thanking you. And please, call me Susumu. Shall we?" He reached for the door and pumped the handle. With a grand sweeping gesture of his arm he ushered her inside and walked straight to the woman standing at the hostess stand. "Table for three, please. Someone else is coming a bit later if you would be so kind as to be on the lookout. He's a little shorter than me, two-tone hair, blue triangles painted on his face—long story," he said at the skeptical expression which appeared on her face.

She nodded and silently gathered three menus. "Right this way," she uttered and then led them through the crowded. Again Susumu motioned for the younger girl to move ahead of him. She quietly followed the woman past tables filled with quietly talking patrons until she stood by a table near the back of the room.

Crystal had begun to reach for her seat when Susumu stopped her and pulled out her chair. Ducking her head to block her red cheeks she sat down in the seat and lifted her feet off of the ground for him to push in her seat for her. And they say chivalry was dead. To distract herself she grabbed the menu, opened it up, and held it in front of her face. What stared back at her were bright pictured and some kind of alien language.

Squinting, she pulled the menu away from her face and then brought it closer again, repeating the process a few times before huffing in defeat and setting the menu down. Susumu looked at her from across the table with lifted eyebrows. "You already decided."

She nodded wordlessly. It was a strange sight, seeing Susumu up close. Kai looked a lot like him, the same piercing eyes, the same strong jaw, and the same facial expressions. The only difference was that Susumu smiled more often, giving him a softer look to his face and an innocent air to his persona. Kai's was always as hard as stone and radiated the need to be alone.

She understood to some degree. She did prefer to be alone on some occasions, especially when she felt overwhelmed by the others and how outgoing they were. Max she got used to, because he was Max. He was a ball of energy that was made to befriend everyone he came across. It would not surprise her in the least if he was born with a sign in his hands that read 'Do you want to be my friend?' No one would be able to deny him. But when their friendship started to scare her she'd back away and put a wall back up to keep them out.

There was no need for them to get too close. She'd join in one the fun and act silly and let go when she needed to. All in due time. But they always acted as if she were about to break and they were walking on eggshells around her and, well, one can only take it for so long.

The waitress came back and asked for their orders. Susumu went with a simple sandwich and some coffee while Crystal rattled off her favorite, and usual, order: a bacon cheeseburger with fries and lemonade. She didn't even have to think twice about ordering it now; it seemed to bounce off of her tongue as soon as any waiter or waitress asked the question. As if a part of her muscle memory was triggered every time.

"How is Kai?" Susumu asked, finally breaking the silence that had settled over the table. Crystal looked up from the sugar packet she had been flicking idly as she waited for their meals to arrive.

She paused. How was she to even approach answering a question like this? On some days it felt as if Kai wasn't all that different to her than what Tyson explained about him one day: he was quiet, stoic, insensitive, and a loner. But then there were other days, other instances, where he would stay in their company, even contribute a time or two to their conversations and shock them all with the simple gesture just to fall back into his normal routine. It was safe to say he was anything but predictable.

"He's…alright," she finally managed to reply. That was a safe word. Yeah, that worked. "He's healed perfectly from the BEGA tournament. We've all taken a bit of a break on beyblading so I can't tell you much on that front." Underneath the table she began to rub at her arm and shift in her seat. A weight settled in her stomach as she relayed the information. "I'm pretty sure he's not going to use Black Dranzer ever again. I asked the others about it but they wouldn't go into details with their experience but I managed to gather enough information to piece together that something happened."

Susumu slowly nodded and rubbed his chin which was covered in alight stubble. "Good, good," he hummed.

Silence settled over them again. When it wasn't interrupted by Crystal's chair shifting every time she moved to get comfortable. But no matter how she sat she couldn't get comfortable. She wasn't too comfortable with the whole thing, going behind Kai's back just to speak to his father about him. She couldn't imagine he'd be happy with it. Hell she wouldn't be happy with it if someone did that to her but in this case she was trying to push her guilt and apprehension aside.

This wasn't about right and wrong, it was about bringing a family back together.

They had gotten halfway through their meal going through short conversation topics like how they were enjoying the island, beyblading, and their next plans when Susumu finally suggested texting Kai to get him there. Nodding Crystal left the table and paced near the bathrooms to keep the feeling of nausea at bay. When she finally gathered enough courage to lift her phone to her face her hands were trembling so much that she couldn't type a thing with her thumbs.

_Get a grip! You're just helping Susumu see his son again. You're not doing anything illegal!_

Finally she was able to get her body to stop shaking and compose a text to the Captain. Biting down on her thumbnail again she waited for his response. She got on and sent another text back, waiting a bit longer and then got another response of him saying he'd be coming and that it better be important.

_Oh you have no idea_.

She went back to the table and tried to sit still and finish her meal but she was too jumpy. Her leg started to bounce beneath the table and then her hands started to shake so much that she almost dropped her glass three times. It came down to it that she had to sit on her hands and cross her ankles to keep from destroying anything within her reach.

"Relax," Susumu hummed. He calmly lifted his mug to his mouth and drained the last bit of his coffee. But he didn't tip his head back excessively like most others commonly did, he merely tilted the mug even higher. With a small sigh he gently set the mug down on the table. "Everything will be fine. You're more nervous than I am."

A small smile split Crystal's look of nerves. She forced a few deep breaths and in and out and began a slow breath in routine she learned in a few fo the meditation practices the White Tiger team went through. In with peace, out with nerves. In with peace, out with nerves. In no time she felt relaxed all over again.

Unfortunately that didn't last too long.

"Father."

Susumu calmly looked up from the table when he was addressed. Crystal forced herself to stay in her seat so as not to look over at Kai. "Son," Susumu replied while standing, setting his napkin down on his half eaten meal and approached the phoenix wielder.

The Hiwataris stood looking at each other. Any other sound in the café seemed to be muted as more time went on. Finally Susumu was the first one to move. He reached out for his son; Kai didn't move but let his father hold onto him, placing a hand atop of his head as he ruffled the younger boy's hair. Crystal almost fell out of her chair when she saw Kai's face soften.

Who knew that was even possible?

"Please, sit down," Susumu said as he gestured to the empty seat next to him. Kai's eyes slid in the girl's direction and then back over to his father. He then moved around the table and sat down next to his father. "It's been so long." Kai grunted. "I bet you're wondering why I'm here." At those words Kai cut his eyes at the smaller girl who was trying to make herself appear as small as possible. "I wanted to explain to you my reasoning for leaving."

"I understand perfectly," Kai told him. "You abandoned us."

Susumu shook his head. "Kai, that's not what I did."

"Then what else do you call picking a _toy_ over your own family?" Kai demanded.

Susumu sighed. "Natalya could understand. I don't know why you won't—"

Kai's fist fell heavily down on the table. The other patrons in the restaurant jumped and looked around to see who it was that had made the noise. It was not hard for them to deduce that it was the two-toned teen in the corner, his eyes narrowed. "Don't bring Mom into this! Because of you I was stuck with the sadistic bastard you call a father!"

"I know, I know," Susumu sighed. "That's why I'm here. To make everything up to you and, maybe start over?"

Kai's eyebrows lifted. "Start over?" He repeated.

Susumu nodded. "I know we can't go back to what our lives were like before but…maybe we can move on and—"

"Just forget everything that happened? I'm sorry but, unlike you, I can't just ignore part of my life."

With a loud scraping sound Kai pushed his chair back from the table and stalked off. Susumu's shoulders slumped and he clasped his hands together atop of the table.

"I'm sorry…I thought this would be a good idea," Crystal uttered, even though she knew she didn't have anything to be sorry about. Not really, anyway. It was bad on her end for pulling the wool over Kai's eyes but she was doing a good thing! Trying to get his family back together. She was only trying to find a way to pay Susumu back for all that he did for her.

Susumu slowly shook his head. "It's not you, this was sprung on him. Maybe if we give him some more time…" his voice trailed off and looked at his watch. "It's probably just too much for him right now. But you should go, enjoy your time with your friends." He lifted a hand to flag down the waitress for the check.

"Okay. I'm sorry, again. Goodbye." Crystal jumped up from her seat and shuffled past the waitress that had moved towards their table and rushed to the front of the building, catching up to Kai as he reached the foyer. "Kai, stop! You didn't have to do that! He just wanted to talk to you.

"What do you know?" He demanded, whirling around to glare at her. She stopped in her tracks at him raising his voice. "Why don't you keep your nose out of my business? You know nothing about myself or my family."

"I was just trying to help," she explained. "I know how upset you must be about the whole thing and—"

"You know nothing!" He repeated, his voice raising so much so that she flinched. Once again he gained the attention of anyone within earshot to turn and look towards him. One glare sent their way made them go back to what they were doing. "You don't understand anything about this. Stop acting as if you do." He turned on his heel and continued walking out again.

She glared at his retreating back and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "You know, you're lucky," she said to his back. Her suddenly speaking caused him to stop in his tracks but he didn't look around. She curled her hands into fists and held them at her side. "You have your father right here wanting to be back in your life, wanting a second chance, and you're turning your back on it. You're lucky he's reaching out. _You're lucky you have parents at all!_ Stop being a brat about it! He's here, for _you_. You may not get this chance again, don't him for granted. Not everyone in the world gets an opportunity like this and I know those that would kill for it wouldn't _shit_ on it like you're doing. Get over yourself, honestly!"

Instead of waiting for him to respond she stomped past him and yanked open the door so hard she was surprised her arm wasn't pulled out of its socket at the force along with the heavy door. She hesitated for a moment and uttered without turning to look at him, "You're the same way with the rest of us, no matter how hard we try to get you to realize we care about you. One day we won't be there…and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

With a shake of her head and a look of disgust thrown his way she left.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_ And we are back with another chapter!

I've been working on this one all week and I'm finally happy with the way it turned out! We have a little bit of everyone in this one to highlight future problems and hint at others. Originally this chapter was much longer but I decided to cut it in half so it didn't drag so the next one will be up soon! Thanks to all of those that have read and reviewed so far, I love seeing your reactions and what you think is going to happen next.

Recently I went back to watch Beyblade from the first season and I fell in love with the show and the characters all over again. Part of it was nostalgia and part of it was to be sure I'm getting the characters right. (Kai's a tough cookie!) Which makes me have to ask, who are your favorite characters and why? I love all of the Bladebreakers for different reasons but my top is Ray, it switches with Kai sometimes but Ray's usually it.

So hit that review button and let me know what you think, how you're feeling, and maybe how your Easter is going so far. I've had a lot of candy already and I'm going to tackle my chocolate bunny later. Also, do you think you'd be able to stand up to Kai and his wrath? Either Crystal is crazy or she's really not afraid of him.

Thanks to...

**Rangerapprentice** - You're right on your guess with their powers but the question is if it's them specifically that has the power or something else? I can tell you though that Thunder cannot control the weather, none of them can. I can't wait for you to see the rest of the story, I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have in store.

**Aldamonburst** - Thanks! It's good to see your presence again!

**OragneSpartans** - What makes you think what Zeo's doing is him going to the dark side? Muahahahaha.

**Cat** - I do have the idea for part three written and a few chapters done as well but I have to get through this story first. I will admit it's taking me a bit longer than I planned, I expect to take a year to get only six chapters up but I know what I'm doing so the others should follow suit a bit more regularly.

and **Guest** for the reviews! And thanks to all that take the time to read my story.

~C.M.


	7. Where the Wind Blows

**__**A/N:**_ _**Usually I don't put author's notes in the beginning of the chapter but this is important. First, hello! I know it's been a while since my last update but now I'm on summer break so they should be coming sooner. Also, this story is coming to a close soon and then I'll start working on the official sequel, Crouching Tiger II. I also have an idea for a third installment that I'm working on at the moment.

Anyway, important note: to keep from Crystal being too much of a Mary-Sue I changed Dricer's name to Dricen, so it's not too close to Driger. Also, I went back to Crouching Tiger and edited it, adding in some scenes, changing the bitbeast name, and making a few explanations more clear so they're not too confusing.

Also, the stats that follow are based on the stats they showed in the show and what I think their stats should be. Some of them should be higher but you can't put half stars in stories. I wish you could, it'd be very helpful.

Anyway, without further ado here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong><em>Chapter 7: Where the Wind Blows<br>_**

"Put a sock in it, Hilary. It happened, get over it."

"But…doesn't it bother you?"

"No."

"They're leaving you out. You're a part of the team now. If that were me I'd—"

"Yeah, well, I'm not you."

"Crys—"

"Hilary! Let it go!" Crystal finally snapped, throwing her arms into the air. With a sigh she dropped her arms and pinched at the bridge of her nose. She had a stressful start to her day, she didn't need Hilary added atop of it.

Almost as soon as Kai left the café she had apologized to his father and left herself, not wanting to stay in the man's presence any longer and took a long walk before finding herself at the beach. Kai's reaction she expected but not to that magnitude. She was only doing what she felt was right; she thought he should have been more appreciative. _She_ would've liked it if someone tried to get her family back together.

At the end of it all she didn't feel as if she was in the wrong. She just wanted to help him, that's what friends do. But apparently the three years he spent with the other guys on his team wasn't enough to get him to realize that they accepted him long ago.

After walking around aimlessly for a while she went to the beach where she had promised to meet the girls and give Hilary her first beyblading lesson. That is if Crystal didn't kill her first. "I'm over it. Stop holding a grudge, it probably wasn't even personal. Now, are we going to get to business or not?"

"Yes! Yes! I want to learn!" Suddenly Hilary perked up; clasping her hands together in her excitement one foot popped up off the ground. Mariah laughed a little and brushed her hair out of her face, pulling it back to fit into her high ponytail. "Where do we start?"

"Right here." Crystal reached down to their towel and lifted a notebook into the air, giving it a little shake to bring emphasis towards it.

"You…want me to take a test?" Hilary asked.

"No, silly," Mariah giggled as she took the notebook herself. "This is filled with stats, win-loss records, advantage and disadvantage charts, and strategies for each member of the G Revolutions team. Gathered over time from Kenny mainly and the rest from Crys's memory. But it's very accurate and shows the status of each member. Kenny helped us make one as well to record our progress."

"Wow," Hilary said while blinking a few times. "So, essentially, all of this is the key to winning a beybattle?" She questioned as her eyes flickered over to the notebook that Crystal still held in her hand. "All of this data and statistics?"

"And wit, strategy, and power, yes," Mariah said with a nod. "It's not all about data. You can have as much data as you can get and have the perfect beyblade but you'd still lose if you don't have the heart and the drive behind it."

"Exactly," Crystal said with a nod. "The important part of beyblading, contrary to what Tyson says, is not to win…but to have fun, make connections, maybe some friends, and learn," Crystal told Hilary. She shrugged and added, "At least, that's how I see it. It opens many doors for you, if you let it." A soft smile formed on her mouth as she looked down at her beyblade. "That's what _I_ love about it. You can do a lot of things if you're a beyblader: travel, meet new people, learn new things…the world is at your fingertips and you're granted many opportunities." Her fingers tightened on her blade. "But to do that you have to understand that it's about finding yourself as well and accepting yourself.

"A beyblade team is only strong if you are well-rounded. If everyone on one team blades a certain way"—she snapped her fingers—"they'll be taken out like that. The Bladebreakers, or BBA Revolution, G Revolutions or whatever is a good example. They're a team full of different elements of beyblading styles. Tyson focuses on attack, fighting head on while using his instincts. Max uses defense, everyone knows that. Kai is a combination of attack and defense. And Ray is a combination of all three. But here, you'll see that it breaks down even further than that. There's more to one's strengths than attack, defense, and endurance. That is usually applied to the beyblade itself but, as you can see; they each specialize in other categories as well."

Crystal handed Hilary the notebook which she opened eagerly. In Crystal's small and slightly slanted handwriting Hilary noticed that she had written out the blading styles for each member in so much detail that it made her eyes widen:

**Beyblader: **_Tyson Granger_

**Beyblade Model: **_HMS (Heavy Metal System)_**  
>Beyblade Name: <strong>_Dragoon MS U.V. (Dragoon Metal Storm Ultimate Version)_**  
>*Strength: <strong>_Attack, Balance_**  
><strong>Weakness(es): <strong>**_Defense, Stealth_

**Bit Beast: **_Dragoon_**  
><strong>Gender:<strong>**_ Male_**  
><strong>Species: <strong>**_Dragon_**  
><strong>Element(s): <strong>**_Wind_**  
><strong>Attacks:<strong>****  
><strong>- _Average Level_: Galaxy Storm**  
><strong>- _Above Average Level_: Galaxy Turbo Twister**  
><strong>- _Defense_: Twin Tornado**  
><strong>- _Strongest Attack_: Evolution Storm

**Stats:  
><strong>_-Attack: ****  
>-Defense: **<br>-Endurance: ** _

* * *

><p><strong>Beyblader:<strong> _Max Tate_

**Beyblade Model: **_HMS (Heavy Metal System)_**  
>Beyblade Name: <strong>_Draciel MS (Draciel Metal Shield)_**  
>*Strength:<strong> _Defense, Endurance, Balance_**  
><strong>Weakness(es): <strong>**_Attack, Force_

**Bit Beast: **_Draciel_**  
><strong>Gender: <strong>**_Male_**  
><strong>Species: <strong>**_Black Turtle_**  
><strong>Element(s): <strong>**_Water_**  
><strong>Attacks:<strong>****  
><strong>- _Average Level:_ Gravity Control**  
><strong>- _Above Average Level:_ Ultra Gravity Control**  
><strong>- _Defense:_ Tidal Wave**  
><strong>- _Strongest Attack:_ Aqua Shield

**Stats:  
><strong>_-Attack: *  
>-Defense: ***<br>-Endurance: * *_

* * *

><p><strong>Beyblader: <strong>_Ray Kon_

**Beyblade Model:** _HMS (Heavy Metal System)_**  
>Beyblade Name: <strong>_Driger MS (Driger Metal Slash)_**  
>*Strength: <strong>_Speed, Accuracy, Attack_**  
><strong>Weakness(es): <strong>**_Stealth_

**Bit Beast: **_Driger_**  
><strong>Gender: <strong>**_Male_**  
><strong>Species: <strong>**_White Tiger_**  
><strong>Element(s): <strong>**_Thunder/Lightning**  
><strong>_****Attacks:******  
><strong>- _Average Level:_ Tiger Claw**  
><strong>- _Above Average Level:_ Gatling Claw**  
><strong>- _Defense:_ Gatling Claw Maximum**  
><strong>- _Strongest Attack:_ Thunder Slash

**Stats:  
><strong>_-Attack: ***  
>-Defense: **<br>-Endurance: * *_

* * *

><p><strong>Beyblader: <strong>_Kai Hiwatari_

**Beyblade Model: **_HMS (Heavy Metal System)_**  
>Beyblade Name: <strong>_Dranzer MS (Dranzer Metal Spiral)_**  
>*Strength:<strong> _Force, Strategy, Attack_**  
><strong>Weakness(es): <strong>**_Adaptation_

**Bit Beast: **_Dranzer_**  
><strong>Gender: <strong>**_Male_**  
><strong>Species: <strong>**_Phoenix_**  
><strong>Element(s): <strong>**_Fire_**  
><strong>Attacks:<strong>****  
><strong>- _Average Level:_ Flaming Gigs Turbo**  
><strong>- _Above Average Level:_ Blazing Gig Reverse Attack**  
><strong>- _Defense:_ Blazing Gig Tempest**  
><strong>- _Strongest Attack:_ Spiral Fireball

**Stats:  
><strong>_-Attack: ***  
>-Defense: *<br>-Endurance: ***_

* * *

><p><strong>Beyblader: <strong>_Crystal Manning_

**Beyblade Model: **_HMS (Heavy Metal System)_**  
>Beyblade Name: <strong>_Dricen MS (Dricen Metal Strike)_**  
>*Strength: <strong>_Evasiveness, Endurance, Attack_**  
><strong>Weakness(es): <strong>**_Defense, Stealth_

**Bit Beast: **_Dricen_**  
><strong>Gender: <strong>****_Male_****  
><strong>Species: <strong>**_White Tiger_**  
><strong>Element(s): <strong>**_Ice_**  
><strong>Attacks:<strong>****  
><strong>- _Average Level:_ Mecca Claw/Tiger Claw**  
><strong>- _Above Average Level:_ Icicle Spear**  
><strong>- _Defense:_ Frozen Tundra**  
><strong>- _Strongest Attack:_ Arctic Strike

**Stats:  
><strong>_-Attack: ***  
>-Defense:<br>-Endurance: ***_

***Other strengths:  
><strong>Balance  
>Speed<br>Maneuverability/Evasiveness  
>Stealth<br>Adaptation  
>Strategy<br>Force  
>Accuracy<p>

"Wow," Hilary uttered as she continued to turn the page to see the different pages outlining their Win-Loss-Tie records. "This is really specific."

"It's the best way to see how a team stacks up," Mariah explained.

"Now, onto the first part of beyblading—" Crystal said as she turned to a bag that sat on the beach towel.

"I get to launch a beyblade? Oh my gosh, I can't wait! This is going to be so cool! What kind of launcher do I get? I still have my Star Dash launcher and—" Hilary rambled until she stopped from Crystal holding up her hand. "Er…I _am_ going to launch a beyblade, right?"

"You will," Crystal replied. "But first you have to start at the very beginning, and that is understanding the beyblade." She pulled out a small blade and pressed it into Hilary's palm. "That's the finished version. You're going to take it apart to understand all of the parts and then put it back together. And then we'll explain the difference between the materials used for the blade and its parts and why one has more advantage over the other."

At Hilary's groan Mariah laughed. "We all had to go through it and, in the long run, it is very beneficial," she said while rubbing Hilary's arm. "You can't run before you walk."

"That's the most cliché thing I've ever heard," Crystal commented with a small roll of her eyes. "And, actually, you can."

Mariah stuck her tongue out at the dark haired girl, turned her golden eyes back over to Hilary and smiled a wide smile, revealing her canines. "It works in this case, though. And before you know it, with our help and knowledge, you'll be an amateur blader in no time."

.::.

Mariah tried not to make a face as she watched the plastic beyblade fall out of the dish and toppled into the sand once more. She brushed the loose strands of her hot pink hair off of her sweaty neck and then pursed her lips as she tried to think of something to say to Hilary who walked around the dish, a bit dejectedly, to get the beyblade.

The child that stood across from her smiled smugly as he grabbed at his own blade and began tossing it up and down in his palm. The other group of children that stood nearby was whispering to each other as Crystal scribbled something in the notebook and sighed.

"Hil, try and keep your arm straight this time," she suggested.

Mariah let out a breath, thankful that she didn't have to say anything to their hot headed friend and laced her fingers beneath her neck, frowning slightly. She hadn't noticed that it was Hilary's arm that was the problem, if it indeed was the problem. The most obvious thing was that she wasn't as in shape as the rest of them, and being in shape _was_ a large part of being a beyblader so she automatically assumed that was it.

She lightly kicked her foot into the sand, wiggling her toes between the warm grains. She looked up and out into the distance, watching the waves crash onto the sand with a small roar. Everything was peaceful for once and she hoped it would stay that way.

Especially for Ray's sake.

So far the beginning of his birthday week was filled with unknowns wanting to battle, as usual. Why was it so hard for them to be left alone for once? Not that she specifically had a problem with the bladers. Her lip curled slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest, turning her attention back to the dish.

Was it bad that she felt a little jealous over the White Tiger team not being seen as a threat that they were the ones attacked? It was always Tyson and his friends. The White Tigers were strong as well, so what if they didn't place that high up in the past tournament? They were champions in the Asian Tournament…almost. They were champs until Tyson and his group came around, anyway, and that counted for something didn't it? They weren't just kittens lying out in the sun, they were competitors too!

She made a face and shook her head, dislodging the envious thoughts. It was silly to be envious because of that, because of her own fiends. It was crazy and beneath her. Envy was an emotion that was trained to be squashed in the White Tiger Village, there was no room for it there and in her life.

"Okay, try one more time," Crystal said to Hilary.

Hilary nodded and pressed her lips together. Mariah's eyebrows lowered slightly when she noticed that her hand was clasped tight around a necklace that she hadn't noticed before. Hilary had a grip on it so tight it was almost as if she were afraid that, somehow, the latch would come undone.

"And you," Crystal added to the child who was still smiling smugly. "There's no need to act as if you're the best thing in the world, alright? We're all beginners here and there's nothing wrong with starting later on in life just as long as they enjoy the game. If you can't accept that you can go and blade with some others, understand?"

"Yes ma'am," the child muttered.

"Calling me 'ma'am' isn't necessary, just as long as you understand." She waved her hand and marked something else in her notebook. "Okay. Launch on three. Keep your arm straight but relax your shoulders. If you're too tense you won't get the full power that you'll need on your launch. All we're trying to do is get your blade into the dish. Ready?" She glanced back and forth between the child and Hilary. The child nodded and Hilary did as well after swallowing thickly. "Three. Two—"

The other children took over her chanting with zeal, "One! Let it rip!"

The child pulled hard on his ripcord and the beyblade flew off of it, landing in the dish. It wobbled for a few seconds but regained its spin and spun around. Launching her blade at the same time, Hilary pulled hard on the ripcord. Mariah held her breath and watched as the beyblade fell towards the dish. It managed to land on the edge and bounce inside, spinning for a few seconds before falling over.

"I did it!" Hilary cheered while jumping up and down. "I launched a beyblade! I finally did it! Hooray!"

Mariah released her breath and grinned. "Congratulations!" Mariah cheered, while clapping her hands. She laughed when Hilary threw her arms around the pink haired girl's neck and the two started jumping up and down. "You'll be 'blading with the rest of us soon enough."

"Yeah, but for now I just want to do what I came here to do: relax," Hilary said with a small giggle.

"I hear you," Mariah agreed. "Hey Crys, we're going to go sit down," she called over to her friend who was now surrounded by the eagerly chatting children.

"Okay," she called back.

Mariah looped her arm with Hilary's and the two walked over to where their blankets lay on the beach. Hilary placed sunglasses over her eyes and laid down with her arms behind her head, a proud smile still sitting upon her face. After adjusting her bikini top Mariah laid down as well, taking in the sounds of the ocean waves, the chirping birds, and other beach goers.

"So I never got a chance to ask where you got that necklace from," Mariah started. She glanced at Hilary out of the corner of her eye and noticed her friend's cheeks turned red.

"Oh, um, Tyson gave it to me," Hilary started. Mariah sat up at those words and lifted her sunglasses, looking at Hilary in awe. Hilary sat up herself and quickly added, "It's not a big deal. It was just as a thank you for putting up with them, basically. That's all."

"Do you understand that this is _Tyson_ you're talking about?" Mariah demanded. "Tyson doesn't do those kind of things on a normal occasion."

"I know, I know," Hilary said. She began drawing patterns in the sand with her finger. "It was sweet of him. Oddly sweet, but sweet." A small smile formed on her face. "But still, it doesn't mean too much. It's Tyson after all. He was probably prompted by Max and Kenny."

"You hit the nail on the head. It's _Tyson_," Mariah reiterated. "Prompted or not it was him who gave it to you, right?" She prodded Hilary's arm with her finger, her smile getting bigger by the second. "And he wasn't with the others, right?" She prodded Hilary's arm again. "And I'll be he didn't just throw it at you in some dismissive way, right?" She lightly knocked her shoulder against Hilary's. "_And _you two have gotten along so much better lately. All signs point to L-O-V-E."

Hilary rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. We've just found common ground and stopped arguing, that's all. It was getting a bit boring. And besides, that was before I understood why they cared about all this beyblading stuff. It's not so silly anymore, now that people tried to take it over and stop them from being able to play," she explained while brushing her hair behind her ears. "Have you had any progression on the Ray front?"

Mariah shook her head and sighed. "And even if I wanted to Lee would find a way to get in the way." She rolled her eyes. "He always somehow finds a way to get in the way whenever Ray tries to talk to me. He doesn't get it."

"Or he does and he's trying to stop a friendship from messing up," Hilary suggested. Mariah gave her a look. "I mean, you all are friends right? Grew up together? You two, Ray, Kevin, and Gary. Imagine what would happen to your group—your _team_—if you got together and then broke up. You see each other all the time, spend time with the same people. It would be really awkward."

"But it's something I'm willing to risk," Mariah stated with a small sigh, scratching at her head beneath her bangs. "Hilary, honestly, I've never felt for someone as strong as I'm feeling for Ray. Not even my arranged husband-to-be, which is making this whole thing a little harder. I thought it was just a very strong brotherly feeling at first, since he was always around Lee and he was really nice to me. But as we got older I realized that it was different, what I was feeling. I could and still can imagine marrying him and having children and living somewhere together for the rest of our lives. It's…it's just right. But…there are always obstacles and I can't be too open about it because I don't want to scare him away and…" she sighed again, "It's complicated."

"Sounds complicated," Hilary agreed while making a face. "So much so that that hurt my head." She paused and then added quietly, "But what are you going to do about the whole arranged marriage thing? Traditions are important to you."

"As you can see I'm taking baby steps to get away from it a little," Mariah said while motioning to her swim attire. "We're not allowed to wear revealing clothing back in the village so now's a good time to try out something new, right?"

"And it doesn't hurt that you have good assets," Hilary added with a laugh.

Mariah began to laugh herself, but it faded quickly as she thought about Hilary's question and she sighed for the third time that day. Tradition was very important to her. She just couldn't stop cold turkey; it was part of her identity. She drew her knees up to her chest and looped he arms around them, twisting her mouth to the side.

Just then the sky darkened and the wind picked up, tossing sand all over the place and whipped their hair around. The edge of the beach blanket fluttered beneath them as they brought their arms up to shield them from the flying sand. Wind whistled in their ears, accompanied by the screams and the shrieks of the other beach goers.

"Guys, it looks like we have company. As usual." Mariah slowly lowered her arms and squinted as the wind continued to blow around them. She managed to open her eyes further and look around. The sky was covered with fast moving, dark gray clouds. High, rough waves slammed onto the beach and a few loose umbrellas went tumbling across the sand. Mariah lifted her head to see Crystal standing above them and staring hard at something in the distance. Mariah and Hilary turned their heads to see, further down the beach a few figures standing by a bigger object on the ground in the shape of a standard beydish. "And it looks like they belong to us."

"Of course," Hilary sighed, dropping her head. "They can never stay out of trouble."

"Hard to do that when trouble finds them. And in this case it's Tyson they have their sights set on."

.::.

"Come on Dragoon! Finish him off!" Tyson yelled angrily at his white beyblade. With the heavy hit it landed on the other beyblade the wind picked up, pulling at their clothes. Tyson had to keep one hand pressed firmly atop of his head to keep his hat on. Max, Lee, Ray, Kenny, Kevin, and Gary had their arms up to block their faces from the wind and the sand that whipped around them. "Dragoon, come _on!_"

The other blader laughed. "This is the world champion? This is the guy that everyone is striving to beat? He's more like a weak-ass chump," he taunted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Who is this wise guy?" Tyson growled through gritted teeth.

"Who are any of these guys?" Kevin asked over the wind.

"Chief, do you have anything?" Max asked over the wail of the wind.

"Dizzi and I haven't got a clue," Kenny yelled. "And her screen has been scratched up from all of the sand that has built up on the camera from its previous use! I think he's working with Thunder and Alicia that we've battled before."

"Hey that Chief guy is pretty smart," the other blader said with a large smirk.

"Tyson, get rid of this guy!" Ray stated.

"Yeah. This sand is getting everywhere and in the wrong places," Lee agreed. "And that smirk is starting to get on my nerves. Wipe it off of his face before I do it for you!"

"Now, now, kiddo, there's nothing wrong with a little confidence in a beybattle," the other blader taunted with a wave of his hand. "Maybe if you grasped that fact that White Tigers would've actually gone far and not be seen as the soft little kitties that you are."

"_Little kitties_!?" Lee roared over the noise. "I'll show you!"

"No, Lee," Ray said while grabbing onto his best friend's arm. "This is Tyson's fight. Don't get so hot-headed."

"Tear him to pieces, Tyson," Lee growled through clenched teeth.

"Tyson! Guys!"

The group of boys looked up to see the girls running down the beach towards them, their hair whipping around from the strength of the wind that pushed them in the opposite direction. Once they got close enough Lee swung an arm around Mariah's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, shielding the wind with his body.

"What's going on?" She yelled.

"This goon challenged Tyson as soon as we left the gym and went looking for you," Lee replied. "He was just about to wipe the floor with him."

"Oh was that what Tyson was doing?" The other blader laughed. "We'll see about that."

"We will, won't we?" Tyson said with a grin. "Come on Dragoon!"

Just then the wind picked up again, but this time it was stronger than it was before. Lee held onto Mariah tighter to keep her from being pulled out of her grasp from the strong winds. It grabbed onto them, clawing and trying to pry them apart. Tyson had to dig his heels deep into the sand to keep from moving, holding onto his hat tighter.

"What's _that_?"

"Tyson, look!"

Tyson looked up and let out a loud gasp that was swallowed up by the wind. Out in the distance, above the churning water, a funnel cloud started to drop down from the sky. Tyson rubbed at his eyes. Surely he couldn't be seeing what he thought he was seeing but he was. The only other time he's seen a funnel like that was from his own beyblade, when Dragoon made a tornado of wind that would knock out his opponent.

But never in his life has he seen a real one.

"Dragoon, pull back!" Tyson ordered, his fingers gripping his launcher so tightly that it started to emit a cracking sound. Rage pulsed through his veins but he held out his palm anyway to catch Dragoon. He hated having to give up a beybattle but then again even he knew his life and the life of his friends wasn't worth it.

"Ha, smart move, Tyson," the other blader said as he held out his hand. His blade smacked into his palm. "Looks like the tide's about to come in."

"Tyson!" He lurched forward slightly when he felt something slam into his side and then a grip tighten on his arm. He didn't have to look to know that it was Hilary that had grabbed onto his arm. His eyes shifted from the now-waterspout that was spinning atop of the water to the waves that were crashing on the beach and racing towards them.

"Everybody hold on!" Tyson managed to utter before an exceptionally large wave drowned out his words and slammed into them.

All at once everything was muted and he felt himself spinning around and around. Hilary's grip was ripped off of his arm. The dark depths swallowed him and moved around in a dizzying pace. He didn't know which way was up and which was down. His clothes began to drag him…somewhere. His cheeks puffed up and his stomach began to clench in his attempt to keep his breath.

Finally a small beam of light grabbed his attention and he turned his body around to swim for it. _It's either The Light of the sun I'm going for. Either way I see it I'll be safe._ Tyson kicked his legs and reached for the little ball of light above him, stretching his arm out.

His clothes still pulled him down.

_Almost…there…_

His lungs started to burn.

Finally his head broke the surface. He took in a deep breath and let it out, taking in another as he shifted his body position to start to tread water. Once he got his breathing under control he looked around to see where his friends were. Kevin seemed to be sitting atop of Gary's head as they bobbed nearby. Ray and Lee floated with Mariah in between them.

Just then Max's head popped out of the water, his usually big blonde hair was matted down to his head due to the water. Crystal was clinging to his back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"I thought it was weird that cats liked water," Tyson managed to joke, earning a flash of her tongue. A second later his heart jumped as fear settled in and he looked around. "Where's Kenny? And Hilary? _Where are they_?" He turned this way and that to look out at the vast ocean that surrounded them, but nothing caught his eye.

"Here, hold onto her," Ray said to Lee before taking a deep breath and disappeared underneath the surface.

"I'm…I'm sure they're fine, Tyson," Max said, but Tyson noticed the little shake in the blonde's words. He pressed his lips together and forced himself to take a few deep breaths, trying not to panic but fear ha his heart in a vice grip.

A few moments later Ray's head broke the surface and Kenny popped up next to him, his wet hair hanging in his face. Tyson let out a breath of relief when Hilary came up beside him, coughing. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to his side, her arms immediately encircling his neck.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"Uh…I think so," she responded with a small nod.

Tyson nodded in confirmation. "Who _are_ these people?" Tyson asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

* * *

><p>Thanks to...<p>

**Aldamonburst - **Thanks for the welcome! I'm glad to be back. And thanks for the kind words.

**ShinningHeart of ThunderClan -** Yep, that's exactly her intention. Now the only question is if Kai will actually listen to her and reunite with his father for his _own_ sake.

**Rangerapprentice -** Hey thanks for the kind words, man! Yeah, Zeo does deserve some attention. I'm trying to do my best to give all of them screen time, when they're important anyway. Gary and Kevin get a bit less because they're not too important yet, but they will be soon. (That and I'm not too sure how to portray them just yet). Now the only question is _why_ he's avoiding his grandfather.

**Sammycrusinix -** Thanks so much for your kind words. I think I responded to your review before but I want to say, again, that this review made my day and really made me smile. I work hard to make sure the stories are conscience and that I'm piecing together a puzzle in a clear way and I'm glad you find it interesting. I hope your heart doesn't explode anymore!

and all of you silent readers. Thank you all for taking the time to read my story.


	8. Freeze Frame

**_Chapter 8: Freeze Frame_**

"Wait. So you're telling me we're just going to sit here, doing nothing, and wait for them to come and attack us again?" Tyson asked incredulously.

No one answered him right away; they were all busy chewing on their Chinese food that room service had just brought up ("It's not as good as the real thing," Mariah commented). No one thought that it was a particularly good idea to eat in such a public place with the bladers out there waiting for them.

Now they were spread throughout Kai's suite, to his chagrin but of course he didn't say a thing about it. He just glared as Tyson barged through the door, a box of Chinese takeout in his hands. Removing himself from the group as always he sat as far away from them as the suite would allow ("Why does he need such a big suite all to himself?" Tyson asked aloud, but of course got no answer).

"Yes," Kenny responded.

"That's just lame," Crystal spoke up, pulling a face. Tyson made a noise of agreement and they high fived. "I mean, we're _hiding_ from them, like sitting ducks, waiting for them to decide to come barging through the window? I'm sorry but I fail to see how that is going to be effective."

"We can't risk your blades behind thrashed or, worse, destroyed by these bladers. We don't fully understand their capabilities. Dizzi and I are stumped and until we know what we're up against we both feel that it is safer for us to lay low."

Mariah hummed, grabbing everyone's attention. "But that's not very fair to Ray, is it?" She asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye. He lowered his head to take a bite of his lo mein. "I mean, we did come to celebrate his birthday by doing activities and such, not sit around a hotel room all day." She ignored Crystal's comment about not having seen any dolphins yet. "This is probably what they want."

"Good to know one of you don't walk away with your tails between your legs!" Tyson commented, jabbing his fork into his food.

"Watch it, Granger," Lee growled through clenched teeth, his amber eyes darkening.

"We understand your concerns, but Chief has a point," Max spoke up.

"I must be hearing things. Maxie, did you just agree with them?" Tyson demanded.

Max nodded. "Mhm." Tyson scoffed. "I'm sorry Tyson, but he's right. We don't know what they're capable of. Something about them, whenever we're around them, has our bitbeasts acting weird. It can't be that much of a coincidence that when Ray battled them a sudden storm came out of nowhere and when _you_ battled them a cyclone occurred. They're doing something to our bitbeasts, making them lose power. We just don't know how so it's better to try and figure it out than to let ourselves get beaten up over something we can't defeat."

"Thanks for _that_ vote of confidence, pal."

"Oh, knock it off, Tyson!" Hilary snapped, shoving her chopsticks into her takeaway box and slammed it onto the table. "We're trying to find ways to keep yourselves out of trouble while trying to figure out what it is that they're doing to make your bitbeasts go haywire! If we have to hide to do it, so be it!"

Tyson yanked his cap off of his head and ran his hands through his hair at a frantic pace, letting out growls every now and then. "How can you even have a say in what's going on?" He demanded, his eyes set in a hard glare. "You have nothing to do with this! You're useless!"

"_Useless_!?" Hilary gasped, eyes widening.

"Oh no," Crystal groaned, lightly slapping her face with her palm and shook her head.

"How many feet has he shoved in his mouth now?" Mariah sighed.

"Too many," Ray sighed.

Hilary jumped to her feet, a fire in her eyes. Her hands clenched into fists and her teeth were clenched together. "I have proven many times that I am not useless! I'm just as important to this team as the rest of you are, even if I don't beyblade! You wouldn't be here without the time and help I've put into this team!"

Now Tyson jumped up, his hands also clenched into fists. He stood so close to her that their noses almost touched. "I did perfectly well starting out without you here and without your opinions! You're just a glorified cheerleader who likes to boss the rest of us around on your little power trip when you know_ nothing!_"

Silence.

Hilary stood stock still, her eyes wide. Shock written all over her face. Tyson's chest heaved as he breathed heavily, casting his eyes down to his shoes. Everyone else was staring at him, mouths agape as if they hadn't believed a word that he had just said. He had even managed to get Kai's attention. The quiet blader had opened one eye and swiveled it in Tyson's direction.

Tyson growled. "_Forget it!_" He snapped, turned on his heel, and stomped off. He yanked open the door and slammed it shut behind him. The mirror by the door rattled against the wall and then sat still, making the entire room fall into thick silence once more. It was quickly broken by the sound of Gary's stomach growling.

"Oh, Gary," Mariah groaned, lightly pushing at him.

"Do we have any fortune cookies around here?" He asked in a slow drawl.

"I can't believe you're thinking about food at a time like this!" She cried out. She shifted her sitting position so she was facing Ray. "I'm sorry about this," she stated. Ray gave her a confused look. "This was supposed to be a fun vacation but all we're doing is fighting with each other."

"It's not as if you caused this, Mariah," Ray pointed out. "You don't need to apologize for anything, really." He let out a breath. "Frankly we should be expecting this for the rest of our lives, right?" He looked at Max and Kai before continuing. "We have the four Sacred Spirits. People are always going to want them and people will always try to find a way to get it. It's inevitable as long as there are good and bad people in the world. We just have to adjust to any threat that comes our way. And in this case we don't have many options left."

He leaned forward to look at Hilary, taking her hand. She had finally managed to make her legs move so she was sitting down again. She looked over at him with tears lining her bottom eyelids. "He's frustrated. By no means and I'm trying to downplay what he said, he was way out of line, but he doesn't like not having options. He's a very passionate person, in the best and worst of ways and that's all that this is. He can't stand not knowing what's going on with his bitbeast, none of us can. I hope you accept my apology on his behalf."

Hilary gave his hand a squeeze and wiped at her eye, a tiny smile on her face. "Of course," she uttered. "I understand it's hard on all of you. I really do. I may not be a beyblader but I understand."

"And contrary to what he says you are an important asset to the team, so don't think otherwise," Max added.

Lee poked around at his food for a few moments and finally spoke up. "It makes me wonder," he started. "What it is that they're doing that is making your bitbeasts go haywire. They don't have beasts as far as I can tell. They have normal blades but they're stronger than us. Not that I'm saying it's not possible for them to be strong without a bitbeast but it is very unusual."

"Sad as it is to say, I haven't been able to crack it just yet," Kenny spoke up. "It may not even be what they're doing."

"Are you suggesting that our bitbeasts are going crazy on their own?" Max asked.

"It's a possibility, Max. We'll never know for sure unless I can get a good reading on their blades."

"But you won't be able to do that if we just sit here," Crystal spoke up, poking at her food. "So, here's my idea. We attack them before they attack us. We track them down and give them a taste of their own medicine." She patted Kevin's head, who was sitting next to her. "We can use Kevin to find them."

"We're not sending Kevin out and we're not going anywhere," Ray said firmly.

"Oh come on. You know that he can do it. He's so sneaky he could steal your underwear right from your pants. It'd work; we could get the jump on them."

"We're not going to stoop to their level just to run in and battle them without being prepared." Ray's voice was hard. It was a universal tone that would let anyone know that one's mind would not be changed. "It's immoral."

"So it's perfectly fine for them to do the same to us?" She never got an answer. A sound of disbelief fell from her mouth and she set her takeout container down on the coffee table she was sitting near. "I understand that you want to know what you're getting into but sitting here like a bunch of scaredy-cats isn't going to help us learn a single thing."

Like Tyson she got up and walked out of the room, only she didn't slam the door behind her. To her it was a difference in opinions, not something to get too upset over. Besides, she felt he could have any opinion he wanted. It was the action, or the non action, that was the difference between getting things done.

* * *

><p>"Are you okay, Hil?"<p>

Hilary looked up from the book she was reading to give her pink haired friend her full attention. Mariah looked over at her while pulling her pillows off of the bed and pushed back the covers. Hilary's eyes shifted around the room for a few moments and then she shrugged.

"Yeah, 'm fine," Hilary responded, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail but a few strands continued to fall out of her scrunchie.

"Are you sure?" She plopped down on her bed, resting a pillow beneath her arms and kicked her legs out behind her. "Tyson said some mean stuff."

Hilary shrugged. "That's Tyson," she stated simply. "You learn that when it comes to him he doesn't think when he's annoyed or frustrated. He just says the first thing that comes to his mind."

"And you're not taking it seriously?" Mariah asked, astonished.

"Well…" Hilary dragged out the end of her word. Sighing she stuck her finger in-between the pages of her book and closed it, leaning back against the pillows. She pursed her lips slightly and then continued, "Sometimes what he says hurts, I'll admit. But then I remember that the good times we have outweigh the bad. Yes, we argue sometimes and sometimes we cross the line with one another but, at the root of it all, he's become one of my closest friends. I can guarantee to get the truth from him and I know he'll always be there for me. That's why I can look past it."

The pink haired girl slowly shook her head. "I don't know if that makes you brave or hopelessly in love," Mariah said with a laugh.

"I'm not in love with him."

"Girl, you can't even fool me with that." Picking up her pillow she tossed it across the room. Hilary easily caught it and tossed it back. Mariah said with a giggle, "You have a soft spot for him."

"Tyson's different now. More mature," Hilary said nonchalantly, shrugging off Mariah's comments. "We get along better than we had before, that's all. It was bound to happen sooner or later, don't you think? No guy can be that immature without learning something or growing at least a little."

Mariah opened her mouth to shoot something back when a knock sounded on the door. The girls exchanged a look on confusion and waited. A moment later there was another knock on the door, this one with a more urgent tone to it.

Mariah rolled off of her bed and quickly headed to the front door, passing by the living room and the kitchen to get to the front door. The knock sounded again, but briefly this time as Mariah had gotten the door open. Her stomach dropped slightly at the sight of Ray standing in the doorway as if he were just about to get ready for bed. Her eyes flickered down to his bare chest for a moment but she caught herself and looked up at his face, just then noticing the worry.

"What's wrong?" She asked, alarm suddenly attaching itself to her words. "Is it Lee?"

"No, it's Kevin," Ray replied.

"Kevin?" Mariah repeated in confusion.

"We don't know where he is. He's all but disappeared. He isn't in there with you, is he?" Ray looked above Mariah's head and peered into the room. Mariah glanced over her shoulder as Hilary came out of the bedroom.

"No, we haven't seen him since dinner," Mariah responded. "Did you check the game room? He loves those."

Ray nodded. "And the theater and the computer room. No one's seen him."

Mariah's heart started to rev in her chest. Her breath came out all at once, as if she had just gotten hit in the stomach. It wasn't possible for the mysterious bladers to have grabbed him, was it? She couldn't even bear the thought. "I'm sure he hasn't gotten far," she said with as much confidence as possible.

"We'll help you look for him," Hilary added.

Ray nodded. "Thanks."

He stepped back and waited for the girls to get their shoes on and leave the room. "We have the hotel staff on the lookout just in case he comes back while we're out. Gary's also staying by the room."

"Is this the first time Kevin's up and left in the middle of the night?" Hilary asked.

"No," Mariah said sadly. "He's done it before." Her cheeks flushed at the mere memory of the Asian Tournament a few years prior.

Kevin had snuck out then to try and get information on Ray and his team. She remembered how annoyed she felt, learning that Kevin thought he was doing the right thing for his team by stealing something that belonged to their old friend. She had been so torn back then. On one hand she had missed Ray like crazy but on the other she was hurt, like the rest of the village, when he up and left with the Driger bit.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Hilary said, rubbing Mariah's shoulder. "You all are tough, he can handle himself."

"Yeah," Mariah sighed. But Kevin just getting up in the middle of the night and disappearing wasn't the issue. It was bigger than that, she could feel it. Something was off between the White Tiger team and it shook her to her core. Not only were they teammates they were friends, family even.

And she couldn't bear to see their family slowly drifting apart.

* * *

><p>A small figure bounded from rooftop to rooftop, moving swiftly, using the random clouds as cover once it blocked out the moon. Its footsteps were light as it moved rapidly across the roof, making little tapping sounds as it moved on tiptoes. Wind rushed in its ears and ruffled its clothes. With a mighty leap the figure bounded over a particularly large gap between buildings and landed lightly on its feet.<p>

The moon slid out from behind a cloud and slowly bathed the island in a silvery glow. Another figure stepped out from behind a sloped portion of the roof next to a window. The smaller figure approached the larger one.

"Did you find anything?" Crystal asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. The island breeze made the flyaway hairs flutter around her face while tugging at her clothes.

"Nothing," Kevin responded. "It's like they're invisible or something. I couldn't get any sort of trace."

She cursed under her breath and snapped her fingers. "I was sure _you'd_ be able to find them. What, do they have trackers on us or something?" Crossing her arms over her chest she uttered a sigh and looked out into the distance. "God, this was supposed to work. How did this mess up? It's not that big of an island!"

"Should we be looking for people that want your bitbeasts?" Kevin asked. "There's something weird with them. The strange weather patterns occurring while we're here…I feel it's too much of a coincidence."

"That's the point, Kev. We go and find these people, figure out what they're doing, how they're doing it, defeat them, and it'll prove that—" As if she realized she was speaking too much Crystal pressed her lips together, stopping the flow of her words. "Anyway, I don't know about you but I plan on actually relaxing the rest of his vacation. I don't want to have to battle any more people if I can put a stop to it now. And since no one else will, I'm the one who has to do it."

"Maybe we should get the others to help," Kevin suggested.

"I don't need their help."

"Come on. _I_ haven't even found where they are. If we got Lee or Ray—"

"_No!_" Crystal said firmly. "We are not going to anyone for help. Especially Ray, got it?" Her words were firm and she had a look in her eye that shook him to the core. It was of wild abandon, as if she wouldn't ever stop until she got what she wanted. But what was it?

Kevin released a sigh and looked away from the older girl's intense gaze. "Got it," he whispered.

"Good."

Silence settled over the two as they stood around, straining to hear something. Anything. Kevin bit down on his thumbnail as his eyes swiveled around, waiting to catch something move. But everything stood still. The only movement came from the wind blow their clothing and the waves crashing onto the beach in the distance.

Finally he heard something. He stopped and trained his ears to listen to the sound. It was very faint but noticeable when the wind stopped blowing.

People talking.

"That's them," Crystal stated. "I can hear Thunder's voice." He could hear excitement and apprehension in her voice. She wiped her palms onto her shorts and checked her pockets for her beyblade. "Okay, I'm going to go down there. You can go back if you want. But do _not_ say a word about where I am. Say you went for a walk or something. Okay?"

"Crys, I don't think—"

"Promise me, Kevin." She took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Promise that you won't say a word to anyone of where I am."

"But what if you get hurt?"

"_Promise_ me, Kevin."

Removing a hand from his shoulder she held out her pinky finger and lifted her eyebrows. He bit down on his bottom lip and looked in every direction but right at her. Releasing a soft sigh he loosely locked his pinky finger with hers. "I promise," he stated.

"Good." She stood straight up, gave him one last look, and started towards the edge of the roof. "Don't worry about me, Kev. I know what I'm doing." She extended her arm, showing him a thumbs up sign and then took a step off of the ledge.

Wind rushed in her ears as she fell, her stomach dropping in a way that she momentarily felt nauseous. A few seconds later she finally touched down on the ground, landing on her feet gracefully. It took a moment for stomach to catch up to her but once it did she was off, searching for the source of their voices.

"We can take them, Drice'," she whispered, reaching into her pocket and rubbed her thumb against his bit. "We've done a lot of training for this moment. Let's show 'em what we're made of."

Removing her hand from her pocket she followed the voices. The closer she got to them the louder they became. Her heart pounded hard against her chest. She took a few deep breaths, feeling her heart rate slowly go back to normal and pressed on. Finally she paused and pressed her back flat against a brick wall, listening to their hushed conversation.

"For World Champions they're a bunch of chumps," Alicia commented. "Aren't they supposed to be the best?"

"Their wins must have been flukes," Thunder added.

"Or we're just that good," Kaoru added.

"We haven't even gone after all of them yet," a new voice broke in. Crystal recognized that to the blader that took on Tyson earlier that day.

"Is there a point anymore?" Thunder asked. "We've seen what we need to see so far. The extra boost in power from the rock and our new little friend is all that we need. One more battle and their names will be knocked out of beyblade history. Imagine that, amateurs coming in and beating the reigning World Champions." He laughed.

Crystal's eyebrows came together in confusion._ Rock? New power?_ _What do they have that we don't_?

"Easy for you to say. You're already a sellout," Alicia pointed out. By her tone it seemed as if she were rolling her eyes.

"I can't help that my face would help sell parts—oh stop laughing, Alex."

"I can't help it. You sound so stupid!"

"Please. At least I don't sound like that Zeo kid," Thunder sneered. "He's so fucking eager to join us he's blind to what's going on under his nose. Makes our job easier but he's beginning to be a pain in the neck. Good thing he shuts down after we're done with him. Who knew his power reserves would come in handy? As long as we have him on our side with that much power we're invincible."

"I kinda feel bad for the kid," Alicia commented.

"Why?" Alex demanded. "He's the one who's willing to put his life on the line just to prove something. As far as I'm concerned it's his fault. We're not holding a gun to his head." He laughed. "If only Tyson and the others knew how strong he really was, they could have taken advantage of his power instead of handing him to us."

"Sssh," Kaoru suddenly shushed. "Here he comes."

Crystal peered around the corner and saw that Zeo, indeed, was approaching the group. His eyes were bright and he had a large smile on his face as he waved. "Hey guys!" He greeted them. "Sorry I'm late. Father wants to spend a lot of time together." He laughed. "While I appreciate the sentiment I do need some time away from him."

"Yeah, parents can be a real drag sometimes," Thunder said with a strained sort of smile. Zeo didn't seem to notice it.

"Let's get on with it," Alicia sighed, filing her nails. "I have a spa treatment to get to."

"Who's up next?" Thunder asked.

"I am," Kaoru replied. "It's Max's turn for payback."

"Um, do you think I can take him on?" Zeo spoke up. He twisted his hands together. "I've been practicing and I've beaten him before. I can do it."

"You'll get your chance in due time," Alex interrupted him, his tone cold. "For now we'll need your help. So if you don't mind…" He waved his hand in a way to signal for Zeo to proceed.

Sighing Zeo slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Once it was unbuttoned all the way he reached up to his chest. Crystal's eyes widened in horror when he griped a section of his chest and it popped open on a hinge, revealing the wiring and electrodes that sat inside of his chest cavity.

"Excellent," Alex said with a grin, taking his blade out of his pocket. He reached forward and inserted it into Zeo's chest cavity, where it was nestled in wires. All of a sudden it got surrounded in a blue-ish light that lit up the dark alley way. "I hope you've charged your batteries enough this time. We can't afford a loss." He laughed. "Not that we'd ever lose with you around. Combining the powers of the rock with a cyborg was a brilliant idea."

"You all seem so smart," Crystal commented, coming out of hiding and standing tall underneath their shocked expressions. "But you don't even check to see if anyone's listening." She slowly shook her head. "So cheating is the only way for you losers to get any sort of notoriety. That's low, even for you all." Her eyes moved over to Zeo. "Especially you. How d'you think Tyson's going to feel once he finds out?"

"Shut up!" Zeo roared. "You don't know anything! And don't you dare bring up his name around me! He deserves this for replacing me! For forgetting about me! You all do. You deserve this."

"You're pathetic," Crystal sighed, shaking her head. "All of you are. Using underhand tactics just to get your fifteen minutes of fame. It's disgusting."

"Let me guess, you're the one who's going to show us the error of our ways right?" Alicia asked dryly, wiggling her fingers and studying her filing job. "Can one of you get rid of her please? She's giving me frown lines."

"I have to say I missed seeing that face, Kitten," Kaoru commented with a smirk, approaching her. "It makes me feel good destroying that look of determination."

"You haven't done so yet," Crystal noted.

"But I will now that you don't have your bodyguards hanging around."

"I don't need them to defeat you. I've done it before, remember?"

"It was a fluke."

"We'll see about that. Battle me then, unless you need a little pick me up to feel good about yourself."

In a split second both of them had loaded their beyblades and launched them with as much strength and precision as they could. Their two blades landed on the ground and immediately went on the attack. Dricen dodged here and there, alternatively changing between attack and evasion while Hadenix hit anytime he had the opportunity.

"Can you please hurry this up?" Alicia asked.

"No," Kaoru replied, a sinister smile on his face. It made Crystal's stomach flip-flop but she swallowed thickly and continued to concentrate on the battle in front of her. "I want her to suffer."

"Do whatever you need to, Kaoru," Alex said from where he stood, watching the flickering light that surrounded his beyblade.

Crystal bit her lip as her eyes shifted between Zeo and Kaoru. Her eyes bounced back and forth a few moments before she sighed and pressed her lips together. "Get 'em, Dricen!" She ordered. Dricen shot to the side and started to spin against the wall, heading straight for Zeo. "Come on, you can do it!"

"Not so fast!" Kaoru laughed.

Hadenix changed directions and shot at Dricen with much more speed than Crystal remembered. She gritted her teeth when Hadenix knocked Dricen back down to the ground. Dricen flipped over a few times but managed to get back its balance.

"Dricen, Frozen Tundra!" Crystal ordered.

A bright blue light shot out of her blade, illuminating the sky, but a moment later it thinned out and disappeared, shooting back into her blade. She gritted her teeth and ordered Dricen up again but, again he didn't come out. _Rats! This same thing happened to the others. Something about the rock or Zeo's power is making it so our bitbeasts can't come out. So we have to find a way to dislodge the rock pieces. But how?_

"Ready to give up?" Kaoru asked.

"Not on your life!" Crystal hissed.

He laughed. "But on yours then, right?"

Crystal faltered. What did he mean by that? A moment later she got her answer in the sound of a large _crack_. She looked around to find what the source of the noise was but it didn't come to her eye, not until she tried to move. She found that her feet were stuck to the ground, no matter how hard she trained.

_What?_

Glancing down, the sight made Crystal gasp aloud. Ice slowly started to form over her shoes and slowly crawled up the laces, climbing to her ankles, effectively chilling her skin and caused gooseflesh to erupt on the surface. Straining she tried with all her might to lift her feet off of the ground but, to no avail.

Her heart dropped.

She was slowly being frozen alive.

* * *

><p>AN: And the plot thickens! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, thanks to all of the readers who take time to look at my story and thanks to those that have it on their favorites list and their alert list.

Onto the reviews.

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan** - I love fluff of anykind but there's something about TyHil fluff that I really like. I enjoy their subtleties. I hope this chapter answered your question about who created the cyclone, and if not, there's always the next one! Thanks for your review as always!

**Cat** - Thanks for the review! Yep, this series isn't going to be over for a bit. I have a lot of ideas for our favorite beybladers.


	9. With Friends Like These

**_Chapter 9: With Friends Like These_**

Lee uttered a growl and kicked at a nearby trashcan. The force of his kick sent it flying, a dent impaled in its side. A vein began to throb in his jaw from how hard he was clenching his teeth. How dare Kevin escape in the middle of the night and defy his orders once more? He was supposed to have a hold over the White Tigers, lead them when Ray wasn't around and this stunt that was pulled only further placed him in the mold of second-in-command. A place that he felt he didn't deserve.

"This is ridiculous!" He hissed. "We shouldn't be running around this island looking for Kevin. Gah. You should've been watching' him, Gary!"

A rumble sounded in Gary's chest but he remained quiet, following his leader down the street.

His hands were closed into fists by his side and his lips pressed into a straight line. There was no sense in fighting Lee. Lee was their leader, whenever Ray wasn't around anyway. He built them up when needed and toe them down when needed. He was very passionate about the team, Gary couldn't deny.

Sometimes a bit _too_ passionate.

"We'll find him," Gary told him.

Lee didn't say anything in response but kicked at another piece of debris in his way. This couldn't happen again, he vowed. Not ever. If he were going to have any chance of becoming the next village leader he'd have to show that he could be the leader. And it seemed that that would only happen if he had a tighter hold on Kevin, which was proving to be nearly impossible.

"_Grrrr! Think, Gary!_" Lee roared, turning on him. "Do you remember seeing Kevin leave? Did he tell you anything? Anything at all?"

Gary's eyebrows lifted. His gaze dropped down to his friend's fingers which were being dug into the fabric of his vest. Gary, calmly, lifted his hand and put it down on Lee's head, pushing him away. "You're upset," he stated simply. "But not at me. Relax. We'll find Kevin."

Lee released a growl and curled his fingers into fists, his nails digging into his palms. He was supposed to have everything under control. If he was going to become the leader of the village whenever his grandfather passed he had to be able to control his own team.

It seems that he'd have to take on a new tactic to get that position.

"Just…keep looking!" He spat.

* * *

><p>"Kevin!"<p>

Mariah's voice echoed in the dark, vast alleyways. She kept her hands cupped around her mouth and called out to him again. She dropped her hands and strained to hear something, anything that would alert to him being around. As before she got nothing in response.

"Where is he?" She sighed.

"Don't worry, Riah, we'll find him," Ray told her. But his voice sounded noticeably flat. Not as convincing as it had sounded earlier but the drive was still there. They had been out for almost an hour and a half now and they were still looking in every corner they could find. "After all there can't be that many places he can be."

"He might be on another island by now," Mariah pointed out.

"D'you really think he'd just hop on a plane and leave us all?" Hilary asked, trailing behind them. She turned the beam of her flashlight this way and that to look in the darkest shadows.

"No, that doesn't sound like him at all," Ray responded. "I suspect there's foul play in here somewhere." He rubbed at his chin. "Maybe one of those bladers has something to do with it."

Mariah stifled a gasp. "You think they took him?" She asked, grabbing onto his arm. "But why?"

"To lead us to them. An ambush?" Ray suggested. "It certainly wouldn't be the first time."

"Ooh, those no-good, dirty, rotten…_ugh!_" Mariah seethed. She punched her fist into her palm and her shoulders began to shake. "Couldn't they have waited another week for this? I mean, your birthday—"

Ray stopped and gave her a look. "Mariah, I don't care about my birthday. That doesn't even matter right now! What matters is that we find Kevin, preferably okay and all in one piece. Not anything else as insignificant as that."

Mariah looked as if she had been slapped across her face. She gave her head a little shake and looked over to Hilary who only looked right back at her. "I…that's not what I meant, Ray."

He sighed. "I know. I appreciate you trying to give me the best birthday but, really, it doesn't matter. I just want to find Kevin, okay?"

"Okay," Mariah agreed. Her voice was noticeably softer than it was before. Hilary joined her side and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't take it to heart," she told her friend.

"I'm not," Mariah said with a shake of her head. "He's just worried about Kevin, that's all." She bit down on her lip and raised her flashlight, illuminating the space in front of her. She tilted her head back, rolling her neck and shoulders. Her eyes lifted to the moon and something blocked out a few of the moon beams. In the blink of an eye it was gone. "What was that?" She asked, lowering her head to see if Ray or Hilary had seen what she had seen.

"What?" Hilary asked.

"Something just…blocked the moon," Mariah responded.

"A cloud?"

"No. It was almost human-like." She looked over to Ray whose eyebrows lifted. "Might be Kevin. We should check."

"I agree," Ray responded, flicking off his flashlight and shoved it into his pocket. "Hil?" He held his arms out to her. A confused look crossed her face for a moment as she approached him. He bent slightly and lifted Hilary into his arms as if she were a bride on her wedding day. "Hold on," he advised her, bending at the knees. He jumped high into the air, Mariah following his lead. They pushed off of the walls, lightly touching down for a moment and jumped high into the air again.

Hilary clung to Ray, wind whistling in her ears, her stomach dropping at the initial jump. Her eyes grew wide at how effortless they made it look. A few seconds later they touched down on the roof and Ray set Hilary down on the ground. She held onto his shoulder and took a few deep breaths to offset the sudden rush of nausea that she felt. Her stomach slammed back into place with a sickening thud.

"Look! Over there!" Mariah spoke up, pointing across the roof top.

Ray squinted. "I see it," he stated and then, in the blink of an eye, he took off across the rooftops. With a leap he landed in front of the figure, which let out a yelp of surprise. He fell backwards and landed on his bottom.

"Geeze! Warn a guy!" Kevin yelped, shaking his fist at Ray,

"I don't think you're in any position to talk," Ray commented, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where have you been?"

Kevin blanched. "Er… I just went on a walk. That's all."

"A walk!?" Mariah cried out. She and Hilary walked over to the boy.

"Mariah! Heh, heh. I didn't see you there." Kevin gulped.

"If you were just going on a walk why didn't you tell anyone?" Mariah demanded, ignoring his statement. "You had us all worried sick! We've been searching the entire island for you!"

Ray slowly sank, resting his elbows on his knees and looked Kevin dead in the eye. "Kevin, tell me the truth," he said, an edge to his voice. "Where were you?"

Kevin gulped. "I went on a walk," he repeated. "Honest."

"You went on a walk," Ray repeated, rubbing his chin. "And why, then, didn't you tell anyone where you were headed? Gary? Lee? Mariah? Crystal? Myself?"

"I didn't want to bother anyone," he responded. "It's just a walk, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is you had us all worried that something happened to you!" Mariah responded. "If you were hurt we wouldn't know where you were or if you were even dead or alive!"

Kevin scoffed and stood, brushing off the seat of his pants. "As if any of you care about me," he mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Ray uttered. He lifted his eyebrows and stared hard at the little boy who was glaring at the ground.

"Nothing," Kevin responded. "Look, we just went to look for something—"

"I thought you went on a walk," Ray interrupted him. "What was it that you were looking for?"

Kevin's eyes shifted. "Er, nothing!"

"Wait, you said 'we'," Hilary spoke up. Kevin's head swiveled to look at her and he jumped at the expression on her face. She was glaring through half lidded eyes, bending at the waist to look at hm. "I thought it was just _you_ that went on a walk."

"I, er…see—" Kevin started.

"Kevin, I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth," Ray said sternly. "And if you continue to lie to me you will suffer the consequences."

Kevin gulped.

* * *

><p>"Look at her!" Alicia laughed gleefully. "She's getting tired over there." A cruel smile formed on her face. "Aww, poor baby! Does the baby want to take a nap?" She taunted, her eyes trained on the sight of Crystal's eyelids fluttering as she tried to keep herself upright. The ice on her legs now reached her knees and continued its slow ascent. Her teeth were chattering and her skin had paled considerably. "Go ahead, go to sleep. It'd save you from having to watch your own defeat."<p>

"I'm…not…giving…up!" Crystal vowed, her breathing coming out quick and shallow.

Dricen continued to attack Hadenix, sending sparks flying, but its spin had visibly decreased over time. This fact got the others excited for they had crowded around to watch the battle, large grins on their faces.

"It won't be long now," Alex mused from where he was standing. "She's either going to lose or die trying to win."

"Either way the outcome is good in our favor," Thunder remarked.

Their casual conversation on the matter made a large wave of nausea cash around inside of Crystal. Or was it from her inner temperature dropping. Either way she knew, with a sinking feeling, that the battle wouldn't be going on much longer if she couldn't dig deep and find the strength to continue.

"Hit 'im again," Crystal called out.

Dricen dashed forward only for Hadenix to dodge easily and rammed into the tiger. Once, twice, three times Hadenix bashed into Dricen, not letting up on his attack.

Zeo watched with wide eyes as the battle continued. His fingers twitched by his side. He couldn't take his eyes off of the beyblades. He couldn't look anywhere else. Not at his new 'friends', not at the girl who was being encased in ice, nothing but the beyblades.

They were the only thing that mattered.

He let out a very soft grunting sound when the beyblade that was nestled in his body was yanked out by Alex who looked it over.

"Thanks," Alex said with a small nod. "This should give us the edge."

"You're…you're welcome." Zeo responded with a sigh. He bit down on his lower lip and flinched when Alicia shoved her beyblade into his chest.

"Let's speed this up, yeah? She's the only thing standing in our way of the G Revolutions. The only ones that matter," Alex said and he launched his blade. His blade and Hadenix surrounded Dricen and hit him from all sides, spinning around the solitary blade. "This is child's play."

"Fuck you!" Crystal spat, feeling as if she had been slapped from his words. "I matter. Don't you dare fucking say that I don't!" She swallowed thickly and looked down to see the ice slowly crawling up her thighs now. She couldn't feel her legs and if she didn't look she wouldn't be sure that they were still there.

And all of a sudden everything that felt cold on her body began to warm up. Her teeth continued to chatter hard against each other but a smile slowly blossomed on her face. She wouldn't be defeated. Not now.

"C'mon Dricen," Crystal said, her speech slower than it had been before. "Use…wait. Tiger Claw, use that one."

Kaoru laughed. "Not much longer now!" He said gleefully. "And then Dricen will finally be mine!"

"I don't think so! Go Dragoon!"

Crystal's movements slowed, as if she were underwater. She tried to look over her shoulder but, now, the only thing she could do was turn at the waist in time to see the White Tigers and G Revolutions coming down the alleyway.

"Damn," Thunder cursed.

"What's the problem? We wanted to fight them," Alex pointed out. "And they came to us. It makes everything easier."

"Oh my gosh!" Hilary gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth at the sight of her half frozen friend. "What have they done to her?"

"Kevin! You promised!" Crystal growled, her eyes roaming around before finally settling on the small boy who hid behind Gary.

"This is low," Tyson spoke up. "If you want to fight us then fight us! We're not scared!"

"No! Back off, Tyson, I don't need your help!" Crystal slurred. "I don't…" she shook her head. "I can do this myself. This is my…my fight. Stay back."

"She's turning blue!" Max noted. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. His eyes dropped down to Dragoon who based Alex's blade and Hadenix out of the way and jumped back over to Crystal who was bracing her arm against the brick by her side.

"I think its hypothermia," Ray said. "She's really suffering."

"Crys, c'mon! Let us help!" Tyson called out.

She shook her head, but the movement was so slow it looked as if she were merely looking one way and the other as if wanting to cross the street. "My…fight," she replied. "Need…to protect you guys. Need…to prove myself."

"Guys, what're we going to do?" Mariah asked. But no one answered her. On one hand taking out their beyblades and fighting back would be the easy choice but, on the other, they had to believe that she could hold out on her own.

"We wait," Ray responded, kicking at the ground.

"Where's Kai?" Hilary asked.

"We couldn't find him," Tyson replied, his fingers curled into fists. He called Dragoon back and glanced over at Ray, as if saying 'this had better work'. Ray shifted his eyes back to the battle and pressed his lips together.

"Dricen, keep going," Crystal called out to her beyblade. There was a slight wobble to its spin now as it lazily tried to get to Hadenix and Alex's blade. Every attack it tried missed. Its movements became sluggish and every attack from Dricen's opponents landed fast and hard. The tiger didn't have a chance to defend itself.

"This is over," Alicia commented. "There's no way she can last much longer. Look, the ice is already up to her belly button."

"Crys, come on! Let us help!" Tyson yelled. "We're not going to let you go down on your own! What're you trying to prove?"

"I think," Hilary started, grabbing everyone's attention. "She's trying to prove that you choosing her to be on your team wasn't a fluke."

"Yeah, but at the sake of her life?"

"She's stubborn," Lee stated simply. "Always has been. She wants to prove that she can do it on her own. That she's strong enough to handle things on her own and hold her own on the team and she's a worthy teammate who doesn't need help getting out of her messes."

"Hadenix, finish her off!" Kaoru ordered. "_Raging Darkness_!"

Hadenix started to glow and spun even faster. The dark beyblade backed up, like a rearing horse, and then charged. It landed a strong hit on Dricen and sent him tumbling against the ground. Everyone watched, holding their breaths, as Dricen flipped over a couple more times but still managed to land on its point, but now its spin stopped and it was wobbling instead.

"We _have_ to do something, guys!" Mariah said. Her hands were clasped together in front of her and she was biting down on her lower lip. "We can't just leave her!"

"Let them help you!" Hilary called out. "_Please!"_

They watched as Hadenix went in for the kill. Mariah clung to Lee, Hilary covered her eyes, and Tyson gritted his teeth. Bright, red light illuminated the dark alley. The light shot past Crystal's still form, shattering the ice which scattered on the floor. She stumbled a few paces and fell to her knees. The light shot past Hadenix, making it fly into the brick around them, past Zeo, making the electric source in his chest short out, off a wall, and then back.

"Was what—?" Max gasped.

"Oh yeah!" Tyson responded with a grin. "_Kai!_"

The captain dropped down from the sky and landed on the ground, one knee bent and a palm down to steady his landing. He stood at full height and his hard, violet eyes peered at the group in front of him who, for the first time, looked scared.

"What're you waiting for?" Kai barked at his teammates.

"Ooh, now this could be fun," Alicia all but purred, stepping up and releasing her beyblade. "Show us what you've got, Kai."

"Listen up," Ray addressed his team. They all snapped to attention to surround him. He ran his hand across his chin and then sighed. "Take care of her," he told them. They nodded. "Get her to a hospital as soon as possible. We'll get there when we're done."

"N-no," Crystal uttered weakly from the ground where she continued to kneel. "L-let me fight."

"You're in no position," Ray told her sternly. He walked over to her and lifted her off the ground, taking in a breath at how cold her skin was to the touch. He carefully deposited her into Lee's arms. "You have to remember that we're a team and you need to rely on us sometimes. We're thankful for you to try and protect us, but let us protect you now." He looked at his team again. "Get her to the hospital _now_."

"But Ray," Mariah started. He held up his hand to silence her.

"I'll be fine," he reassured her. "Just get going. And Kevin." He turned to the smallest boy who looked up at him with wide eyes. "You did the right thing for telling us. She'll understand." He nodded and looked down at his feet. "Now go."

He watched as the White Tiger team ran off until they disappeared into the shadows. Ray turned back to his friends, taking his beyblade and launcher out of his pockets and yanked on the cord. Driger spun on the ground with Dragoon, Dranzer, and Draciel. Across from them Alicia, Alex, and Thunder launched their beyblades to join Hadenix.

"Zeo," Tyson growled, addressing the quiet boy who had been watching the whole exchange. "I can't believe you fell into their plans. I don't know what you were thinking but I believed you when you said you wanted to change. You wanted to be the best beyblader you could be on your own, despite what you are. But I see now that that was all a lie." Zeo visibly flinched at Tyson's harsh tone. Max even looked surprised at the way Tyson was speaking to their ex-teammate. "I believed in you. Hell, even _Kai_ liked something about you to invite you to join our team. And you took that for granted! If there's one thing I hate it's being lied to."

"I didn't lie!" Zeo burst out. He clenched his teeth and curled his fingers into fists. "I didn't lie about anything! I do want to be the best beyblader! I want to take you down, Tyson! I want to prove that I know how to blade!"

"You did that before you got Cerberus you can do it again!" Tyson pointed out. "But you decided to align yourself with them?"

"They had a place for me!" Zeo shot back. "They wanted me on their team. They had a way to use me!"

"By cheating!" Max pointed out. "Using all of that energy you have stored inside of yourself. That's the only way you can beat us, it seems. Can't even blade with your own skill."

"Just because we have a little help doesn't mean it's cheating," Alex pointed out, his eyes narrowing. "We're not all blessed with the Sacred Spirits. Some of us have to get our powers from a certain rock."

Max, Hilary, and Kenny gasped. Tyson, Ray, and Kai however all seemed to get tenser at his confession. "D'you think it's the same rock?" Hilary asked.

"I'll get right on it," Kenny said as he knelt on the ground and opened up his laptop. "Dizzi, give us some readings!"

"Give me some time, Chief. I'm getting a little bit of interference," she responded.

"You're going to have to give her some time, guys," Kenny called out.

"You heard 'im. Let's go Dragoon!" Tyson shouted.

"Driger, c'mon!" Ray exclaimed.

"Draciel, back them up!" Max ordered.

"Dranzer!" Kai yelled.

The Sacred Spirits charged for their opponents and hit them head on. They didn't let up even as their opponents hit them back. They matched their opponents blow for blow, not letting up even when they were getting beaten hard. The tables turned and flipped time and time again, putting them on the offense and defense during the course of the battle. Flames and lightning bolts shot every which way within the tight area. Rain fell heavily from above them and wind picked up, pushing and pulling at them but the bladers continued to stand tall and press on.

"Do you have anything yet, Chief?" Hilary asked, her teeth working on her lower lip.

"Wait…wait…_yes! Got it!"_ Kenny cried out. "It's the rock! They're using Zeo's energy, the same energy that helped control Cerberus, to power the pieces of the rock that's lodged in their blades. Thankfully they haven't been able to get enough handle over releasing the beasts. However the energy is strong enough that it neutralizes our attacks and can even use them against us."

"That explains the lightning and the cyclone," Hilary said while snapping her fingers.

"It's almost like Black Dranzer," Kenny mused. "When Kai took control of Black Dranzer he was able to neutralize Tyson's attack. Somehow they learned to do the same thing. But they have a flaw without being able to get their bitbeast to rise from it."

"But what about Kaoru?" Hilary asked.

"His bitbeasts isn't from the rock," Kenny replied. "That's not what these readings say. The wavelengths are different. But he was getting power from Zeo like the rest of them."

"So what can they do?" Hilary asked.

"Hit them hard. It may dislodge the rock pieces and give them the edge to be defeated. In short: don't give up, and give it all they've got. Don't let Crystal's hard work go to waste. Kaoru and Alex should be weaker than the rest."

Having heard the exchange Tyson nodded. He locked eyes with Zeo for a moment before focusing on Alex who stood smirking at him. "Dragoon, don't hold back!" Tyson called out. "We can beat them guys! We've beaten BEGA. They make these guys look like puppies!"

"I'm with you, Tyson," Max said and fist bumped him.

"We all are," Ray said glancing over at Kai who nodded and whose lips turned up into a very small smile.

"Oh how sweet. The team is bonding," Alicia said with a roll of her eyes. "But that won't be enough to defeat us!"

Tyson's lip curled up into a smirk. "It's worked before," he stated. The others tensed as the blades holding the Sacred Spirits backed off. "Don't hold back guys! _Dragoon! Evolution Storm!"_

"_Aqua Shield!"_

_"Thunder Slash!"_

_"Spiral Fireball!"_

G Revolutions' beyblades moved into a diamond formation and the whirring sound coming from their blades got louder, signaling a new kick in spin. Each blade adopted a trail glowing in their respective bitbeasts color until the glow took over their beyblades. The glow then molded into one bright white glow, resembling a comet heading straight for their opponents blades'.

"You're not going to take us down that easily," Kaoru vowed as his and his teammates' blades took on a similar formation and charged towards the G Revolutions.

They all collided with a bright flash of white light and a loud bang. It was followed by a roar that could be heard through their hands pressed against their ears. Wind rushed past them, pulling at their clothes, making any loose hem flutter and flap behind them.

The light slowly dimmed and the sound slowly muted until all that was left was the sound of a few spinning beyblades. Tyson slowly lowered his arms and peered through the dust cloud that had enveloped the group. He squinted and waved a hand in front of his face, coughing a little to clear the dust in front of him and spotted the spinning beyblades.

"Hooray! You did it!" Hilary cheered, punching her fist into the air.

Tyson grinned at the sight of his opponents' beyblades lying on the ground, the bit chips broken as if they had been stepped on. His shoulders dropped and a weight of drowsiness landed on his shoulders. Lifting his hat he brushed the back of his hand across his forehead and turned to look at his friends. They looked as equally tired as he did but happy for their success as well.

"I hope you all understand now that beyblading isn't about shortcuts," Tyson spoke up. He looked over at the defeat opponents. Squeezing water out of the hem of his shirt he locked eyes with Zeo. "Beyblading is about skill, talent, and heart. If you don't have the heart for beyblading, the love for the sport, you don't deserve to be called a beyblader." He cleared his throat a little and addressed Zeo head on. "As for you…I don't know if your father was behind all of this or if you felt like you needed to redeem yourself. Whatever. All I know is that I gave you a chance before for a reason. After you stole my friends' bitbeasts I thought that you would take my words to heart and change."

"I got jealous, Tyson!" Zeo burst out. "Seeing all of your success and knowing that I wasn't a part of the team. Knowing that I was my own reason for not being a part of that success. I hated seeing people coming in and out to join the team that I once was a part of. And, I don't know, I just wanted to be helpful somewhere."

"So you aided them," Tyson said, nodding at where Alex was pulling Alicia to her feet. "I'd like to say that I understand but I don't. I really don't understand you going back to your previous ways. I accepted you the way you were before, did you suddenly think that I wouldn't because of our wins?" He scoffed at his own question. "When I heard that you and your father were taking time away to focus on each other and you were playing violin I was happy for you, thinking that you would get back to the place you were in before. Back when you were a novice with great talent. Not this. I am disappointed but…you lost your way. It happens, when you see great things. You just have to get back to what you were like here." Tyson patted his chest where his heart beat against it. "That's all." He sighed. "I think you can do it. You just need more time to yourself, more time getting back to basics. And you'll be one of the better bladers that I've ever come across."

He let out a breath and turned to look at his friends. "We're done here," he told them. "Let's get to the hospital."

* * *

><p><em>Pungent smoke filled Crystal's lungs and burned the inside of her nose. She brought an arm up to her face to block the smoky airflow but it didn't seem to do much to help. The dirt path around her was ignited in flames. Tree branches had fire wrapped around them. The bushes lining the path looked as if they were large candles. The heat that surrounded her made it hard for her to keep her eyes open.<em>

_"There she is! Don't let her escape!"_

Shit!

_Letting out a breath Crystal took off running. Her burning legs and lungs screamed at her to stop but she kept going as the shrubbery continued to go up in flames. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her breathing became even more labored than before but she continued to push herself, continued to run._

_Finally the tree line broke…only to form a circular dead end. The flames had beaten her to the end, seemingly jumping from one branch to another, creating a ring of fire._

_"Damn," Crystal cursed, bracing her shoes against the ground to stop her momentum. Her chest heaved from the exerted energy. She brushed her hair out of her face and glanced over her shoulder when the shouting got louder._

_Her hands went to the launcher that sat on the waistband of her shorts when a loud cracking sound made her freeze. Her head shot up just in time to see a high hanging branch, ablaze, crack and finally separate from the trunk._

_She hardly had time to scream, move, do _anything_ when it plummeted and she was enveloped in heat._

A strangled gasp inflated her previously paralyzed chest allowing Crystal the ability to open her eyes. They shifted around the darkness that wrapped around her and, slowly, they adjusted to the dark room. A steady beeping sound reached her ear, making her eyebrows lower in confusion.

She took a moment to focus on getting her breathing back to normal and then realized that her entire body was warm. Warmer than usual. It was a great contrast to how cold she remembered feeling previously. However, it was still uncomfortable, especially after the nightmare she just had.

It was then she realized that she was flanked on either side and pinned under a foreign weight. She turned her head to one side to come face-to-face with Ray's sleeping form. Her facial muscles briefly twitched and finally settled on a small smile forming. Turning her head to the other side her smile dropped and was replaced with an expression of surprise when she saw that it was Kai on the other side.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She closed her eyes briefly only to see the strong images of flames dissolving into the darkness. Lifting herself up on her elbows she looked down and found herself having been heavily wrapped in blankets, almost swaddled like a child. Her eyes moved around the dark room to see the dark shapes of sleeping figures.

She settled back against the pillows and released a long, slow breath. Finally her heart rate went back to normal and sleep took a hold of her once more, pulling her back into dreamland.

_Thank you, my friends._

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>_ Whew, that was intense, wasn't it? But of course our favorite beybladers would come out on top. I hope my explanation of how they were able to use Zeo to power up their bitbeasts/beyblades made sense. I worked hard to be sure that it was as clear and concise as possible. So, what did you all think of this chapter? I think my favorite part was Tyson at the end. His little speech shows how mature he can be when he sets his mind to it. Thanks for being patient with me during the time it takes for me to update. I've been working on this chapter for a while now and I didn't want to get it up without it being the best it can be._  
><em>

Now to the reviews/thank yous!

**Aldamonburst** - I love TysonxHilary. I love KaixHilary as well but I like the dynamic of TysonxHlary so much. As much as they fight I see them pushing each other to be greater than they are. Yes, sometimes to prove themselves to the other but the point is they're growing together and that's a couple dynamic I'd love to expand on (and I will). I hope my tech meets magic explanation made sense!

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan** - Ding, ding, ding we have a winner! It was their opponents using their powers against them. However, it was both Zeo and the rock behind the quantities of power that was being used. Zeo just needed to give the blades extra power to trigger the power of the rock to get to greater heights so, after they used him (figuratively and literally) he didn't have to be there for them to be able to use the power.

**Cat** - Glad to see you again! Thanks for you kind words!

and **Guest** (2x) - Thanks for the review! Crystal still has a bit of a way to go, it seems, with her stubborn attitude as well as learn to play with/rely on her team.

Thanks to each and every single one of you that takes the time to read this story. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my work and tell me what you think or putting it on your alert/fav list. It means a lot.

The next chapter, as far as I can see right now, will be the last one and then we'll finally get to the proper sequel! It's called _Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang_ and so far that's how the title is staying but I'm also looking towards naming it _Crouching Tiger II: Tiger Stripes_. It all depends on what I think fits better. Also it may be a bit before the proper sequel is up. However if I get good enough inspiration/get all of my ideas organized in a timely manner it may be up even by next month!

Once again, thank you!

~C.M.


	10. Summer Paradise

**_Chapter 10: Summer Paradise_**

"Nice to know that you'll notice that _Kevin's _missing but when it comes to me you don't even bat an eyelash," Crystal commented. Her head titled as she fixed one of her braids. Sitting on the edge of the hospital bed her feet didn't touch the ground but she was ready to hit it running and get out of there. Hospitals made her jumpy and the sooner she could get out the better.

"We thought you were still on the balcony," Hilary sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "We thought you heard Ray and went in search for Kevin by yourself. You do have a solitary streak, after all." She paused and added, "You're almost as bad as Kai."

Crystal let out a little laugh. "_No one's_ as bad as Kai when it comes to needing solitary time." She finished the braid and tossed it over her shoulder. She rubbed her palms on her knees and let out a little sigh, looking around the room. "So, am I free to go yet?"

"I think the guys were going to check you out," Mariah replied. She let out a long sigh and laced her fingers against her neck. "Some vacation, huh? We get struck by lightning, almost drowned, and almost frozen to death. I wonder what things will be like when things go back to normal."

Hilary snorted. "Things aren't 'normal' when those boys are involved," she pointed out. "Though I wouldn't have it any other way, to be honest," she added with a bit of tenderness to her tone. The other girls nodded in agreement. "You tend to get used to being chased down and targeted just so people can prove themselves." She paused and then added, "It's almost as bad as school."

"Don't make me want to change my mind about that," Crystal said in a warning tone. She reached for her shirt, which was neatly folded on the bed, and stripped her hospital gown. Hilary's eyebrows came together when she noticed the bandages wrapped around her friend's chest and pressed her lips together. She looked over at Mariah who shook her head once.

A knock sounded on the door. The handle turned and the door opened a little only for an eye to be seen through the crack. "Are you decent?" Lee's voice came through the crack.

"Yeah, yeah, come in," Crystal said with a beckoning wave of her hand. The door opened wider and Lee fully walked into the room followed by the rest of the White Tigers. Hilary quietly excused herself from the room which then fell quiet with all of them looking at each other.

Finally Kevin blurted out,"I'm sorry!"

"What're you sorry for?" Crystal asked.

"I broke our promise. You told me not to tell anyone where you were but I did anyway. Please don't hate me."

She twisted her mouth to the side and then sighed. "I don't hate you, Kev," she told him. "I mean…you saved my life." She gave a little laugh and twisted her hands. "If you hadn't gone and told someone where I was I'd be dead. As much as I wanted to be able to prove that I could take on people much stronger than me and protect the guys, I now realize I was in over my head."

"Wait," Ray said, holding up his hand to stop her. "Are you admitting that you were _wrong_?" His tone held curiosity but he had a teasing look in his eye.

She rolled her eyes but smiled, regardless. "Yeah, and it's the _only_ time it's ever going to happen so you may as well enjoy it now," she said while holding a warning finger up in his direction.

"Etch into your memory, everyone," Kevin laughed. "Gotta make sure it lasts forever."

Crystal swatted Kevin with the pillow and any remaining tension in the room disappeared when they all started laughing. Mariah's heart squeezed as it always did when she had one of those 'warm and fuzzy' moments. Where everything felt right and she felt close to her friends again. This was how the team was supposed to be and now they could move forward.

"Okay, okay, enough of that," Crystal said with a wave of her hand. "Let's get out of here; I need some sun on my skin."

"First I want to speak to you about something," Lee spoke up. Crystal looked over at him, her head tilting to reflect her confusion as the others scurried out.

* * *

><p>"So, have you guys gotten Ray's birthday present yet?" Hilary asked. She reached forward and picked up her glass. A section of the top had collected beads of condensation. One ran down the length of her hand once it touched her skin. She brought the glass of iced tea to her mouth and took a strong pull from the straw.<p>

"Not yet," Max admitted, spinning his straw in his own fruity drink. The ice clinked and clanked against the glass walls as it spun around, forming a small tornado. He rested his arms on the table and watched people moving around the shopping area for a moment.

After Crystal got out of the hospital the group had split up, the White Tigers went off to do one thing and the rest of G Revolution did another, in their case go into town and look at the shops. Even Kai had, silently, decided to tag along. After visiting a few stores they stopped at a café to get something to drink and enjoy the beautiful weather. _Really_ enjoy it. God knows they barely had a chance to relax since they got onto the island.

"Guys, his birthday is two days away," Hilary pointed out.

"We know that, Hil," Tyson said, a bit of an edge to his voice. "It's just we don't know what to get him. We don't know what he'd like. He lives in a remote mountain village, for crying out loud. What do they do there?"

"Work a lot, from what he's told me. They do a lot of chores and they have a lot of responsibilities and traditions they uphold around the village. It's serious business."

"That sounds so boring," Tyson mumbled.

"Tyson! How can you say such a thing?" Kenny shrieked, making Tyson jump. "Just because you don't live in that culture doesn't mean that it's boring!"

Tyson rubbed the back of his head, a blush of embarrassment blossomed on his cheeks. "I…I didn't mean it that way! Really!" He looked over at Max and Hilary for backup but they looked away from him. He didn't bother to get Kai's help. The Captain would throw him to the dogs if he could. He slumped in his seat and crossed his arms. Hilary giggled at his expense. "So what'd you get him, hotshot?"

"I got him something practical," Hilary responded. "I know how much he likes to practice calligraphy so I bought him a couple of new brushes made of bamboo."

"Aww, that's good!" Max said, leaning back in his seat. "I should have thought of that one. Hmm. Maybe I can get in on that. He'd need ink, right?"

"Lucky for you," Hilary said, smiling.

"Alright!" Max cheered. "What about you, Chief? What'd you get Ray?"

"I got him a copy of _Tao Te Ching_. Also known as _Daodejing_," Kenny responded, his voice full of pride. Max and Tyson looked at each other and then shifted their confused expressions in his direction. Kenny sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's a book, or manual, on the art of living and the wonders of the world under the Taoist philosophy and religious tradition."

"Oh," Tyson said. "And you don't think he has that already?"

"I took every outcome into consideration to make sure I wasn't buying something he already has," Kenny said. "Of course, being that he seems to practice Taoism he may already have the book and it's ideals and teachings memorized but it doesn't hurt that he could have a physical copy of it."

"Oh man! Rats!" Tyson groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. "Those are such good ideas! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you don't like to think?" Hilary asked innocently. She gave a little shriek when Tyson threw a water-soaked napkin at her.

"Help me think of something, guys!" He pleaded. "C'mon, Kai, you have to have some ideas."

Kai didn't respond or acknowledge if he even heard Tyson. He merely lifted his glass and took a long drink. Tyson grumbled and rubbed at his hair again. Tyson knew he wouldn't get a proper answer but he thought, maybe after all this time, Kai would at least open up a little bit more. Hell, the guy was starting to become the team's Knight in Shining Armor, swooping in at the last minute to save them. So that proved he cared but getting anything out of Kai was like pulling teeth.

"Or maybe not. Maybe your mind is just empty, huh?" Tyson continued, trying to goad him. But still Kai didn't respond, turning his attention to the beach off in the distance. Tyson stuck his tongue out at the captain, sure that he hadn't seen it and was pleasantly surprised to see Kai's middle finger pointed in his direction. "Oh how mature of you Kai."

"Look who's talking!" Hilary chortled.

"What? I'm plenty mature."

"Right. You sure are mature, Tyson. It must've been another navy haired beyblader that tried to order the entire kitchen from room service."

"If they don't want you to eat what they have they wouldn't offer the whole menu, now would they?"

"You're just being greedy."

"I am not! I'm a growing boy, I need my nutrients."

"You don't even know what nutrients are I bet."

"I do so!"

Max sighed but chuckled when Hilary and Tyson dissolved back into one of their usual arguments. He smiled over at Kenny who returned the gesture. It was just like old times. He hoped and prayed that things would stay this way for a while, although he wasn't holding his breath about it, being who they were.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment and pushed away every negative thought. He had no reason for them anymore. No one was out to get them. They were on a beautiful island and he was surrounded by his friends.

All that mattered was _now_.

* * *

><p>"So what do you think happened to those guys?" Ray spoke up, breaking the idle chatter that had gone on through the group. Tyson looked at Ray over his shoulder and turned to walk backwards.<p>

"What do you mean, Ray?" He asked.

"I mean, they just disappeared. What if we didn't beat them this time?" He asked.

"Well then we'll just have to beat them again if that's the case!" Tyson said and punched his fist into the air.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about, though," Kenny spoke up. "Dizzi and I haven't gotten any readings of magic levels from the rock or an abundance of power from anyone and we've been scanning just in case they do come back. But I don't see it happening, to be honest."

"Relax, Ray," Hilary said and elbowed him. A large grin sat on her face. "You have no other responsibility during this trip except for having fun with your friends and relaxing. Okay?" She looked ahead of the group and added with a small laugh, "If you need some energy you can borrow Crystal's."

She pointed ahead of herself to bring their attention to the girl who was skipping down the street ahead of them, her braids had been pulled back into a long ponytail and it bounced behind her with every step. If she weren't skipping Hilary was sure she'd be floating on Cloud 9.

"She's acting like Tyson during Thanksgiving," Max noted, joining the conversation.

"She's just excited, let her have it," Mariah said, wedging her way between Max and Hilary. "You know how long she's been going on about wanting to see dolphins."

"Frankly, I don't get the appeal," Lee mumbled. He walked behind the group with Gary and Kevin, his arms crossed tight. A disgruntled look sat on his face and his lip curled in disgust.

"Just because you're scared of water, Lee—" Mariah started.

"I'm not scared!" Lee denied, his cheeks flushing. "It's just…if we were meant to get in the water we'd have gills!"

"Well, he does have a point," Max agreed, scratching the side of his head.

"You can sit on the sidelines then," Mariah said and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Like…a _scardy cat_!" Tyson burst in and then laughed at his own joke while the others looked on as if he had grown a second head.

"How long were you waiting to use that joke?" Hilary asked dryly.

Tyson beamed with pride and swung his arm around her shoulders. "Too long, Hil. Too long."

"The preparation was worth it," Max said, a dry tone attached to his words. He dodged the punch that Tyson threw at him and danced out of his reach, laughing all the while.

"Hurry _up_, slowpokes!" Crystal called from ahead of them. She was stood by the entrance to the dolphin attraction, her hands on her hips. "I don't want to waste a minute! Put your rears in gear!" She stomped her foot for emphasis.

"Oh my gosh, she's like a kid!" Hilary said. Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "It's a sight, isn't it? She's usually so serious and focused."

"A near-death experience can do that to people," Ray commented, moving his rat-tail over his shoulder.

As much as the comments flew the atmosphere around them was light. Save for Lee who tried to run away a few times only to be grabbed by Gary in the nick of time until Mariah convinced him to carry her brother the rest of the way.

By the time they reached the handler that waited for them Crystal's excitement became infectious. Tyson and Max hardly stood still long enough to get the regulation wetsuits on before they started on Kenny who, in his flustered state, put it on the wrong way.

"Hey Mar, mind helping me with this?" Hilary asked, struggled with her wetsuit. When she didn't get a response right away she looked up. She sighed when she noticed Mariah braiding her ponytail, her fingers fumbling over the strands at the end. "Mar?"

"Hilary, just take a look around and you'll understand why Mariah can't speak," Crystal quipped, stepping up behind Mariah to take her hair and finish up the braid herself.

Hilary's eyes swept the group of shirtless boys that were getting into wetsuits. While all she saw was a normal sight she could understand why Mariah suddenly lacked any basic function. "Ah," she said.

"You have drool on your chin," Crystal commented. She laughed and jumped away from Mariah when she brought her leg back to kick at her. "Why don't you just ask him out already?" She continued, twisting her friend's hair into the intricate design. "I don't know if you know but the whole admiring from afar thing doesn't usually bode people well." Mariah didn't respond, instead making a humming sound. "See, you may as well have a chicken for a bitbeast. Because that's what you are. A chicken. And they reflect who we are, right?" She started making clucking and other chicken noises from deep within her throat.

"I'm not a chicken," Mariah grumbled, stepping away from Crystal. She stroked her braid and looked down at her feet. The pink nail polish on her toes was chipped in a few areas. "I just…don't want to mess anything up. And there are a lot of…obstacles in the way." She cleared her throat. "Excuse me; I'm going to check on Lee."

Hilary's hands perched on her hips as she watched Mariah walk away. She swiveled her head to look at Crystal to see that her bottom lip had been pulled between her teeth. "How much longer are we here?" Crystal asked

"Two more days," Hilary replied. "Why?"

"Because either Mariah's going to kill me with her longing or I'm going to kill _her _because of her lamenting. Whichever comes first." She held up her two fingers and wiggled them to emphasize her point. Then she clapped her hands together and beamed. "But not today! Today I'm swimming with dolphins!"

"You're acting like this is for your birthday instead of Ray's."

"This is like Christmas and Halloween and my birthday all rolled into one!"

"Speaking of, what have you gotten Ray?" She paused and asked, "You _did_ get him something, right?"

"Just because he can get on power trips and flaunts his captaincy and likes to have things his way and is an overall pain in my ass doesn't mean I have a heart made of ice, contrary to what my bitbeast power is," Crystal responded.

"Okay, just checking," Hilary said, lifting her hands as if to deflect the words flung at her.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Mom."

Hilary then rolled her eyes. "Not you too."

"You bring it upon yourself, Hil." Crystal mimed plucking something out of Hilary's hair and held it in front of her face with an impish grin. "Look at that! I think I found a gray hair!"

Hilary swatted her hand away and grumbled, "You're responsible for half of them."

"I'll sign them all for you and we can put it up on Ebay," Crystal joked. Hilary couldn't hold the stern look on her face. The expression on her face, in turn, made Crystal burst out laughing. Hilary dissolved into laughter herself until the girls were both red in the face and leaning on one another to hold each other up.

"I think you two have been in the sun for too long," Max commented. He, too, had a smile on his face, but his was just from the contagious good mood that was going around the group.

How could they not be in a good mood? The weather was perfect, they could finally_—finally_—relax and begin to enjoy vacation, and even Kai joined them for the day. Not only that but he was going to swim with dolphins _with_ them. Not on another island, like some would guess.

"Now Lee, are you _sure _you don't want to come in?" Mariah asked. She was standing over him, giving him the best coaxing look that she could muster. He had planted himself on the ground as far away from the water's edge as possible, a deep frown set upon his face. "Come on, even Gary's trying it out."

"Yeah. Why are you so scared of fish when we _eat_ them all of the time?" Kevin spoke up. A large, impish grin took up half of his face.

"They're mammals!" Crystal called from behind them.

Kevin waved his hand to signify that she was dismissing her comment. "They're not going to bite you back."

"Actually—" Kenny started, his finger raised as it always was before he was about to explain a fact.

"_Shush!_" Mariah interrupted him. "Lee, please? For me? For your sister? I'll love you forever if you do it."

Lee grunted. "You should love me regardless and I'm not doing it, okay?"

Mariah sighed in defeat. The sound of footsteps growing closer snatched their attention away from the sour and brooding White Tiger to the handler that approached the group. They abandoned Lee and migrated over to the worker who introduced himself and explained which dolphins they were going to spend time with, how long they've been around, how old they were, and a little bit of the training that went into the Dolphin Encounter attraction.

Then they were given life-jackets to wear and as they put them on the trainer tried to get Lee to join them. But he was as stubborn as he was before and stood his ground on his decision. Instead he sat back and watched as his friends jumped into the water and moved out far enough for the dolphins to approach them.

"Oh my gosh, they're so soft!" Mariah squealed, rubbing a dolphin's back.

"This is so cool," Max whispered. His palm skimmed the slick, rubbery surface of the dolphin's belly. The one that swam around him and Tyson was very playful, floating on his back and making clicking sounds.

"Try to fight the impulse of taking a bite, Ray," Tyson joked. Ray uttered a sigh and rolled his eyes. Only a moment later he and Kai laughed at Tyson's misfortune. After Tyson's jab at Ray the dolphin he and Max were petting ducked into the water only to pop back out and shoot water at him. Tyson spluttered and rubbed his face with his hands to get water out of his eyes. "Ha ha, very funny," he grumbled. "And what're _you_ laughing at, Mr. Giggles?" Tyson shot at Kai.

Kai lifted one slate gray eyebrow. "Your face, Tyson. I'm laughing at your face," he replied.

Whatever reaction Tyson was expecting, Kai being so blunt wasn't it, which was evidenced by him spluttering for a few moments and blinked. "Yeah, well…" Tyson grumbled, searching for a retort. Kai's other eyebrow lifted as he waited for Tyson to continue with his attempts. "You're…mean," he finished lamely.

Kai's eyelids dropped until he gave Tyson an unamused, half-lidded look. "That took a lot of effort, didn't it?" He asked dryly.

"Shut up, Kai."

Once the group's laughter died down the instructor asked if anyone would like to take a ride on a dolphin first, of which Crystal volunteered herself. She almost took off Kevin's head with how fast she shot her arm in the air.

One by one they were instructed to grab onto the dolphin's dorsal fin and have it drag them through the water. Each one looked the same when they let go: flushed faces, bright eyes, and wide smiles (save for Kai who seemed to master the art of remaining stoic).

Lee watched them all carefully from the sidelines, his eyes following the path that the dolphins pulled them. When he wasn't doing that he sighed and huffed, rolling his head this way and that to look around. Apparently that didn't go well with the gentle creatures for one had lifted out of the water and shot water at the beached White Tiger, earning a round of laughter from his friends.

"I think they like you, Lee," Mariah chirped. "They want you to give them a kiss." The dolphins were, in fact, bobbing in the water near the piece of land that Lee sat on.

"That'd be his first kiss too so he'd have to cherish it," Kevin spoke up. Lee glared at him. For some reason Kevin must have deemed the day Pick on Lee day. Any chance he had he would take to make fun of their captain because he knew he was protected as long as Crystal and Mariah were nearby. He gritted his teeth and curled his fingers to form a fist, frustration bubbling up inside of him. He would make sure that Kevin didn't say those things again and remembered who it was that he was talking to.

The lack of respected stopped now.

* * *

><p>The following days seemed to melt into one and stretch as time dragged on. Soon it was their last day on the island, which also was Ray's birthday. He didn't expect much out of it and was pleasantly surprised and a little shocked to wake up that morning with a small cake resting on the end of his bed. A bright white frosting sat atop of what looked to be a marble cake. Chocolate piping sat atop of the frosting layer, making up shapes of Chinese characters: 17歲生日快樂，雷! It took a few moments for him to realize what it was saying in his sleepy haze: <em>Happy 17th Birthday, Ray!<em>

His mouth turned up to reveal a handsome smile and his amber eyes sparkled with appreciation. He glanced over to the other bed in the room and looked on for a few seconds as the blankets covering Lee slowly lifted and fell with his heavy breathing.

Slowly and carefully he leaned over the side of his bed and reached for his bag. Once he had it in an upright position he dug through it, pushing aside clothes and shoes. Finally his fingers brushed against a leather-bound book. With a tug he pulled it out and settled against his pillows. He carefully opened the cover and was immediately hit with a strong sense of longing.

The first picture was one that he looked at the most. It was ripped in a few places and was adorned with crinkles and creases but otherwise it was perfectly nestled in the middle of the page. He brushed his fingers against the glossy surface, a small, sad smile formed on his face.

The picture was of a couple who looked so much in love holding onto a small bundle, a newborn baby. The woman's violet hair was pulled back into a low ponytail which was draped over one shoulder. Her eyes were tired but shining nonetheless. Her face was flushed and shiny with sweat but her beauty still shone through. Her arms were wrapped tight around the little baby whose eyes were closed tight in its slumber. A man gazed adoringly at his wife from behind small-framed glasses that were perched upon his nose. His arm was wrapped around his wife's lower back. His other hand held onto the tiny hand of the sleeping baby, a calm, cat-like smile was nestled in his features.

Ray sighed softly, sadness stirring in his stomach as his eyes gobbled up everything the picture held. His parents' expressions, the love radiating from their eyes, their tight hold on him as an infant. Sometimes, when he thought hard enough, he swore he could smell the light, flowery scent that seemed to follow his mother around. Hear the rumbling laugh that started deep within his father's stomach. Feel the love that they had from him no matter how far he went around the world.

Ray turned the page and another family picture sat on the page, this time when he was about one. He was sitting on his mother's lap, smiling brightly, his hands holding onto her long ponytail that trickled over her shoulder. His father, in turn, held them both in his lap and was kissing the side of his wife's head.

The next family photo was when he was two, just starting to walk Ray guessed. His small hands were enveloped in his parents' hands and he was smiling up at them. They were laughing about something, their smiles frozen in mid laugh as they looked back at him.

Oh how he wished he could see that look again. But, if it came down to it, he wouldn't trade the life he's lived even if it meant to have his family back together permanently. He wouldn't trade in his experiences with his team—his friends—to have them back.

No matter how much he wanted them back.

He learned a lot in his short seventeen years of life. Learned a lot about the world, his friends, and more importantly, himself. He recognized that in the past year that he let the Bladebreakers successes get to his head a little bit more than he'd like to admit. It affected his beyblading, in the wrong way, and he recognized now that he had to be better than himself, his Champion self, to get to the position he wanted to be in to become a top beyblader. He only hoped that he was making his parents proud, if they were watching his progress.

He never gave up hope that they were alive, wherever they were. He firmly held onto the idea that they had to leave for good reasons. The most popular reason he thought up was to provide him with a life that they couldn't, a life where he had to learn to do things by himself and rely on his own abilities. Of course he wasn't the only one in the village who was parent-less, whether by circumstance or other reasons but it was a hole that couldn't be filled, no matter how far he went.

Slowly closing the book, Ray turned his eyes to the room around him. His eyes didn't directly take in the furniture around him. He leaned forward, pressing his fist to his mouth and turned his attention to the cake that still sat on his bed. There were no candles on it but that didn't stop him from making a wish. It was a tradition after all.

He quietly pushed back the covers on his bed, put the cake down on his bedside table, and grabbed his abandoned shirt from the end of the bed. He put it on, grabbed the card key, and slipped out the door. He took the short walk to a public balcony and rested his arms on the railing, looking down to a few of the aquariums on the first floor where bright fish swam around.

Something shifted behind him. Ray didn't need to turn around to know that it was Kai who had joined him. He had a different air around him, one that assaulted those around before he walked into a room, before he made his presence known.

"Too anxious to sleep?" Kai asked, joining Ray at the rail.

"You could say that," Ray replied. "You don't need to check on me."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Hmmm." It was a very Kai-like response, Ray knew. "So what is it that you're doing?"

Kai didn't verbally reply this time. Ray looked at him out of the corner of his eye. His friend's gaze swept the tall buildings that surround theirs, almost as if he were looking right through them. Shrugging a little Ray focused on the buildings around him as well, waiting to see if he would get hit by something to signify that he was a year older, seen as an adult in some countries, but nothing came. Not that he was surprised, he never really felt different on his birthday. Even though this one was the most important when it came to his village. From this moment on things would change. _That_ he could feel.

"So, what's planned for today?" Ray asked.

"Aren't birthdays supposed to be filled with surprises?" Kai asked. Judging from the tone he was using Ray guessed Kai was mocking the eagerness that his friends were displaying in his honor.

"Aren't I allowed to be nosey on my birthday?" Ray shot back. "I'm supposed to get a free pass or something."

Kai rolled his eyes and then reached for his back pocket. It was then that Ray noticed a white envelope had been sitting there. Kai held it out to Ray and, after a moment, the Chinese blader took it and looked at the front for a moment. The front of it had a simple message written in Kai's handwriting: Happy Birthday. Short and to the point. How Kai-like.

"Thanks," Ray said. He ran his finger underneath the seal to pop it, reached in, and pulled out two slim pieces of paper. "Ticket vouchers?" He asked aloud.

Kai nodded once. "Round-trip. It'll take you wherever you want to go," he replied. "Italy. Greece." He smirked and added, "Perhaps a deserted island away from Tyson."

"I wouldn't take you with me, just for that," Ray joked. He tapped the tickets against his palm and looked at Kai. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Kai didn't respond but gave a half smile. Ray carefully folded the envelope and put it in his pocket, still feeling a sense of awe clinging to him. Birthdays weren't a big thing in the White Tiger village. They were recognized for the beginning of a new year and they were given a cake but gifts weren't that common. He got so used to getting the bare minimum when it came to his birthday and having all of this? He was touched and firmly believed he had the best friends in the world. It also made him wonder how things could get better.

Not that he had to wait long to find out.

As he thought his friends had the whole day planned for him. After eating a large breakfast, covered by the hotel, they went to the beach again, this time to take jet skis around and to go para-sailing, both things that Ray found himself really excited to try out. Something to get his adrenaline pumping properly, from excitement this time. Not from being chased down by people who either wanted him dead or wanted his bitbeast.

"Two to one craft is the max," the instructor said as the group put on their life jackets. "If at any time you want to ride a banana boat come back here and we'll get that set up for you, okay? Have fun guys."

They thanked him and milled around before splitting up into pairs: Max and Kenny, Tyson and Hilary, Kai and Crystal, Ray and Mariah, and Lee and Kevin. Gary opted to sit out due to weight restrictions, not that it bothered him. There was lunch waiting for them whenever they decided to take a break and he decided to get a head start on it, to no one's surprise.

"How about we make this interesting?" Tyson asked with a challenging look in his eye. He steadied the jet-ski as Hilary climbed on behind him. They had gotten into a small argument over who would drive and eventually Hilary let Tyson have it just to get him to shut up. "How about we have a race?"

"Sounds good," Max agreed, placing his hands on the handle. "What's the reward? Or punishment?"

"Loser has to eat Crystal's dessert."

"Hey! It's not _that_ bad!" She cried out, crossing her arms as best as she could without hitting Kai. "I've gotten better."

"You're not supposed to find a cooked egg in cake," Mariah pointed out while scooting forward on the seat and wrapped her arms around Ray's stomach. "It's supposed to be blended in."

Crystal rolled her eyes, convincing herself that it was because of Mariah's statement instead of her attaching herself to Ray like a leech. "It happened _one_ time. You people just won't let it go!" Then she grinned evilly. "But, just for that, I'll be sure to make sure the loser gets a lot of surprises."

"I don't think my stomach can handle that," Kevin groaned. "So don't lose, Lee."

"Where are we riding to?" Lee asked. He attached the clip of the jet-ski to himself, grinning at the idea of being the victor.

"How about to…that boat and back?" Tyson suggested, pointing to a boat that was floating about in the distance, rocking gently from the waves that disturbed the otherwise placid surface of the ocean.

"Sounds good!" Max said and gave a thumbs up sign. "Everybody ready? Seeeet…._GO!"_

Engines roared and water shot out from beneath the jet-skis as they took off. Max and Kenny had an advantage of being lighter so they had less weight resistance. But then they had something working against them, a lack of control. Max tried hard to keep control of the watercraft but he was slowing himself and Kenny down while trying to fight the waves.

It gave Ray and Lee the chance to speed past him. Kevin was hooping and hollering, urging Lee to go faster. They bounced over each wave that came their way and a smug grin revealed itself on Lee's face. Mariah, on the other hand, gave little shrieks with each heavy bounce, holding onto Ray tighter to make sure she didn't fall off. Behind them Tyson and Kai were gliding though the water, Kai with a rigid look of concentration and Tyson with a fire in his eyes. It rivaled the annoyance that otherwise radiated off of his face because of the directions Hilary was yelling in his ear.

Ray shook his head at their antics and pushed his watercraft to go faster. Wind whistled in his ears and the ocean air made him squint to keep his eyes from watering too much. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Lee gaining on him. He turned his head briefly to lock eyes with his oldest friend. Lee held his gaze for a moment and then the familiar smirk appeared.

Now the _real_ race began.

Ray kept his eyes on the boat in the distance, which steadily grew larger the closer they got to it. Lee constantly stayed by his side, keeping up and urging Ray to push the jet-ski to go as hard as it could. His stomach jumped around inside of him, bouncing up to his throat over a particularly hard wave that made it feel like he was flying.

With a quick jerk of the handle bars the jet-ski did a sharp turn, successfully sending a wave of water at Lee and Kevin who had just reached the boat. Ray laughed. A good, long hard laugh that made his cheeks hurt when it finally subsided. He hadn't laughed like that in a long time. It was refreshing. Rejuvenating even. It filled him with a new sense of life that he couldn't—no, wouldn't—be able to explain if anyone asked.

It was as if, in that moment, he knew that everything would be okay in the end. No matter when the end came.

As for the end of the race, it came as he thought it would: him first, Lee second, Kai third, Max fourth, and Tyson last. Tyson loudly vented his complaints to and about Hilary as their engines shut off. Ray only chuckled and brushed his wet bangs out of his face with his hand, turning to offer Mariah his hand. She thanked him, grabbed it, and jumped off of the back of the watercraft. Like him, her bangs were matted to her forehead because of the water. The contrast of the hot pink and amber seemed to make her eyes stand out even more than before.

"What?" Mariah asked. He blinked and looked at her, really looked at her.

"What?" Ray repeated.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked her hands reaching up to probe her skin.

"No," he replied and shook his head. "No, there's nothing on your face. You're perfect." Mariah smiled and dropped her arms. Ray took in a breath and let it out slowly. "It's just…I think we need to talk about some things. That's all."

* * *

><p>"Thiff ith the beth cake ah've eva hah!" Tyson gushed around the fork that protruded from his mouth. He chewed a few times and swallowed. "This hotel is the best in the world! I want to come back."<p>

"You'd have to sell your comic book collection to swing it," Max said, pointing his fork in Tyson's direction. He had lowered it to take another slice of his cake when another fork shot out and beat him to it. "Hey!" He cried out, laughing with mirth.

"Have to be quicker than that!" Crystal teased, waving her fork in his direction and then ate the piece of cake on her fork. "Ah, it tastes even sweeter when it's stolen," she teased, curling her legs underneath herself to get more comfortable on the couch.

After the race in the ocean the group then rode horses along the beach (which took a few minutes to get started with Kevin's fear of them). When they came back they ate the lunch that was set up for them and then went back to the hotel to relax and start packing for their flight back later that night. Ray had brought out the cake and had cut even slices for all of them to share it and they gathered into the suite he and Lee shared to give him his gifts.

They were piled in the center of the room, waiting to be opened but they were left in favor of him talking to Mariah about something out on the balcony. Max and Tyson turned not being able to hear what they were saying into a game, Tyson filling in for Ray's voice and Max for Mariah's. While they found great amusement in guessing that the two were discussing their hair-washing habits Lee sat seething in the corner, glaring at the two and savagely eating his piece of cake. Kai was the only one who didn't touch his cake piece, whether it was out of common courtesy because two of their friends were missing or because he didn't like the cake flavor no one knew. He just sat on the arm rest of the couch, quietly sipping on tea.

"His noodles are getting cold," Kevin noted.

"What are they for again?" Hilary asked, looking over the pot that she was stirring.

"It's a symbol for long life," Crystal explained. "The person whose birthday it is stuffs as many as they can into their mouth before biting down. It's also for good luck."

"And these red envelopes?" Tyson asked while picking one up and waving it around.

"It's filled with money and the symbols on the front correspond with what the person is wishing the receiver," Crystal continued. "For example, this one," she said, picking up a random envelope and pointing at the symbol on the front: 幸福. "This means happiness so, basically, the giver is wishing Ray happiness. You can also put 'wealth' or 'patience' or 'prosperity' or something of the like. And, traditionally, the receiver is not supposed to open the envelope with the giver in front of them but in this case its fine."

"Is it all of China that follows these traditions or is it just your village that follows it this closely?" Hilary asked and tapped the tongs against the side of the pot.

"Our village is big on tradition," Lee jumped in. "Essentially it's what keeps us going amidst all of the change in the world and around us. Tradition is the center of the village and we take it very seriously. It's our culture, it's what shapes us."

Hilary tuned to ask him something else but stopped and tilted her head in curiosity at the fierce way he was glaring across the room at Crystal, who was giggling with Max about something. Almost as if she could feel Lee glaring at her she stopped laughing and slumped in her seat, only to correct her posture a moment later. Hilary's lips pursed.

How odd.

The balcony door opened with a creak and Ray and Mariah finally stepped in. Ray lifted his head and his eyes swept around the room, noticing that everyone (save for Kai) was looking at them. "Yes?" He asked calmly, taking a seat on the floor. He knew why they were staring, but he wasn't going to indulge in their nosiness. What went on in his life was his business and it would be up to him if he shared any (good) news or not.

"Nothing," Lee said after a moment of silence. He lifted his eyebrows in Ray's direction. Ray's lips twitched ever so slightly but Lee caught the action and his eyebrows lowered. He gave a short nod and turned his attention to Hilary who presented him with his noodles and a pair of chopsticks.

"That's from me," Tyson spoke up. Ray gave him a look of confusion so he clarified, "The chopsticks. I know you probably have about a thousand by now but I hand painted them myself!" He smiled proudly as Ray looked over the handiwork. It was obvious the Tyson painted them himself but Ray felt touched nonetheless.

"Thank you," Ray said and smiled. "I'll cherish them always."

Lifting the chopsticks full of noodles to his mouth he began slurping in as much as he could, Tyson and Max watching in awe with how much he could fit. They commented here and there about how he resembled a puffer fish and how they were amazed he could fit that much in. He had managed to stuff a little more than half of the bowl into his mouth when he began to chew, breathing heavily through his nose. Tyson was sure it was some sort of record.

After finishing off the bowl Ray then, carefully, began to open his gifts. He received red envelopes from Kevin, Gary, and Lee (making sure to keep them as intact as possible as he opened them) and a laughing Buddha statue from Mariah. When presented with _Tao Te Ching _from Kenny he grinned in appreciation, a smile which only got bigger when Max and Hilary gave him their joint gift. Crystal was last and presented him with something from the Japanese culture instead of Chinese. She gave him a _maneki-neko**, **_a lucky cat statue, of which Tyson found hilarious ("It's really not that funny," Ray commented over Tyson's hooting laughter).

Amidst the chaos that rose as the party winded down Grandpa called to check on everyone and know the details of their flight. Each of them took the time to speak to Grandpa, save for Tyson who was putting all of his attention and focus into beating Kevin at some video game they decided to play ("For someone who doesn't have electricity you're good at this," Tyson grumbled when Kevin sent his player flying off of the screen).

Kai, who they didn't think was paying attention, would snicker quietly every now and then whenever Kevin pummeled Tyson. He took his frustration out on the controller which began to crack and pop underneath his hands.

"Relax Tyson!" Max laughed. "It's just a game. I mean, you're pretty bad at it but—"

"Oh yeah?" Tyson demanded, whirling around to glare at the blond. "Why don't you get your butt down here and put your money where your mouth is?"

"You've already been humiliated enough, don't you think?" Ray teased.

"You too! And Kai! I can beat all three of you with my eyes closed!" Tyson challenged.

"I don't play childish games," Kai spoke up from behind the book that he picked up.

"Why? Are you scared you'd lose?" Tyson taunted. "Yep, I bet that's it. You're scared you'd lose to one of us _children_."

"Tyson, leave it alone. You know Kai doesn't like video games," Ray said, lifting his arm from Mariah's shoulders and slid onto the floor. He took the controller from Kevin and turned it around in his hands as if he were examining it. He tested a few buttons and moved the joystick around with his thumb and then looked up at the screen as the intro started with loud music and trumpets sounding.

"Yeah, because he _loses_!"

"Tyson, give it a rest," Crystal sighed. She jumped when the book Kai was reading infiltrated her vision. She took it, slipping her finger in the pages he held open and he, wordlessly, sat down on the floor and picked up a controller. She looked at the back of his head, to the cover of the book (_Peter the Great_) and then back at him, making a soft humming sound.

"Oh this'll be good," Lee commented and took Kai's place on the count to get a better look. Mariah joined him, bringing her knees up to her chest and peered at the screen curiously. Kevin, Hilary, Kenny, and Gary joined them and soon the hotel suite was filled with screams of encouragement from the spectators and the clicks of buttons being smashed and joysticks wiggling around.

Despite all of the noise the atmosphere in the room was calm; serene even.

And any serenity that they were bestowed was paradise.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_ And there you have it! More questions than answers, but fear not! They will be answered in _Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang!_ I have big plans for that story: more about the Chinese culture (because I have so much fun researching this stuff, as if you couldn't tell), more with Lee acting strange, the marriages, courtships, and rules of the White Tiger village, Kai's family and his relationship with his friends, and of course more about Crystal's family and Dricen's origins to name a few. I don't want to give everything away!

This story took me a year longer than I planned to get updated but, as I'm sure all of you know, life sometimes gets in the way, and I'm thankful for all of you that have waited for the next chapter and stuck with me during the wait! Saying that I appreciate you doesn't do justice with how I feel about you all. I will update this story with an Author's Note to let you all know when the (proper) sequel has been posted.

What did you think of the ending? I don't know about you guys but I think the image of Tyson, Kai, Max, and Ray playing Super Smash Bros. Melee or something of the sort is hilarious.

Thank you to:

**rawrrxieatxyou -**Muahahaha! That's the point! I don't want anyone knowing who she ends up with until it happens and I will throw tons of curveballs if I have to until I get to the point where it is the perfect moment for the reveal to happen. Or will it happen? *wiggles eyebrows* Don't worry, I love random reviews as much as I love reviews that have a point. Heck, as I'm sure everyone will say, I love reviews in general. I'm glad to know I'm keeping you on your toes and at the edge of your seat to find out who she's with, but remember, the pairing isn't the important part of the story I'm sharing about Crystal, it's just a part of it. Thanks so much for your review and thank you for coming back each time!

**Aldamonburst - **Tyson constantly surprises me with how much he's grown up over the years. Of course, he hasn't strayed too far from his naive tendencies, of which will come back to light in the sequel. I'm glad you think that's good because that's the name I'm sticking with XD. Thank you, too, for your reviews and constantly coming back to read my stuff! I appreciate it, man!

**ShiningHeart of ThunderClan - **He is! He totally is! It's because, ever since they saved him (this is what I believe anyway) he's become fiercly protective of his teammates beause they're his family now! He won't ever admit that out loud but they're his best friends and he cares for them and the way he shows it is by always being there to protect them (I also think this stems from the whole Wyatt situation, which will also be touched on in the next story). Nope! It's not wrong. I 'awww'ed as well. The image jumped out at me out of nowhere and I knew I had to add it in! I couldn't pass it up! Thank you so much for your review!

**Cat - **Well, they're boys, and they're kind of clueless. I hope I explained it well enough. Thanks for coming back to my stories, I really appreciate it, and thank you for the reviews!

and all of you silent readers. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you all. Thank you again and see you next time!

~C.M.


	11. Author's Note: Crouching Tiger II

_**Author's Note:**_  
><em><strong>Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang<strong>_

_Crouching Tiger II: Yin and Yang_ is now up! The prologue has been posted. Please let me know what you think. I'll leave the note here for now and then go back and delete it later. This is the **short summary**:

You cannot have darkness without light. You cannot have right without wrong. You cannot have good without evil. They are opposing forces but they're needed to help keep the balance in the world. The power of Yin and Yang is a strong force. They are interconnected and interdependent. As soon as that perfect balance is disrupted nature goes to hell. OC. TysonxHilary RayxMariah.

And this is the long, **extended summary**:

Crystal didn't want to go back to the White Tiger Village initially. She only planned on going back so she could witness her friend's wedding. After that she would jump on a plane straight for Japan to start her new life. Easy. But, as she learned, life doesn't work the way that she wants it to. The one thing she forgot is that, no matter how hard you try and sever ties, tradition follows you around. It shapes you into who you are, no matter how much you want to turn your back on it.

All Crystal wants is to have control of her own life, to make her own choices and suffer the consequences should they arise. She wants to go against everything she's learned in the village and break away from the ties that hold her down. But the White Tiger Village has a stronger hold on her than she thought.

A dark force lurks within the village, waiting to latch onto those who are weak and drag them down. The time has come for G Revolution to come together as a team to defeat the darkness of the world once and for all. Friendships will be tested amidst a repetition of the past that can make even the strongest sort crumble under the pressure. A journey of self discovery, an opening of hearts, and a simple wish may be the key to restoring balance and fixing a rift that grew too large over time.

Excited yet? You should be! Head on over to the new story and please leave a review to let me know what you think.

~C.M.


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